Srirangam Chitrai Garuda Sevai

April 21, 2017, 2:07 am

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A transformational change in the Melur Road 'Garuda Sevai' Procession 

In the 1970s and 80s, Melur Road at the Western end of Srirangam was an untraveled destination except for one day in a year when the residents of Srirangam would make their way as part of the Chitrai Brahmotsavam. There were no street lights in those days. The road off the Poundarikapuram Ashramam was just a mud road with rough stones through the 2km stretch to the Asthana Mandapam.

But the location was supremely serene with huge mango groves (especially being the peak season) and coconut trees dotting the entire stretch, with the expansive Thathachariar Gardens on the left (South) and groves on the banks of the Coloroon on the right (North).  On the third day of the Chitrai Brahmotsavam, Lord Namperumal would make a long 3 hour trip in the morning from his abode in Srirangam to the then largely unexplored village of Melur.

That evening, mounted on a majestic Garuda Vahana, Namperumal, flanked by the Mango groves on one side and tall Coconut trees on the other, made a joyful return trip amidst the cool breeze providing Garuda Sevai darshan to the devotees.

Last evening (April  20) the huge infrastructural transformation, in recent times, of this historical temple town was visible to those that had witnessed the Chitrai Garuda Sevai in the 2^nd half of the last decade.

The huge groves that had lined up the entire Northern stretch is now gone having made way to large apartments. Through the Western end of Melur Road, one now finds beautiful colourful branded apartments with the occupants having moved in. This stretch at the far end of Melur is now likely to house several thousands of new residents. A previously uninhabited place, even a mini bus service has been introduced in recent times between Srirangam and Melur. Many of the new occupants, who were planning the house warming function of their branded new apartments the next morning, felt blessed that Lord Namperumal had provided darshan on the Golden Garuda Vahana on the eve of their big day. 

The entire 2-3kms stretch is now a tarred road with the Sri Patham Thangis now being able to make a swift move through to the Dasavatharam Sannidhi Street in a matter of under 30minutes unlike in olden times when their feet would burn under the strike of sharp stones. 

Lord Namperumal had reached the North Chitrai Street by 7pm and was welcomed by the large Ghosti that had gathered there to present the verses in praise of the Lord. He was back at the temple an hour later.

While the new Tar Road facilitating easy movement for the carriers of the Lord is a welcome addition as is the overall infrastructural development of the place that has now expanded far into the Western end of Srirangam and with the new ‘smallish/ mini’ Golden Garuda Vahana (so unlike the huge Garuda one has accustomed to), the nostalgic procession of the Lord mounted atop his favourite vehicle wading through the two huge groves in the evening procession amidst the large numbers of ‘Bandham’ (Ghee lit torch) was sorely missing for those who had experienced this utsavam in decades of the previous century. As he made his from Melur, Garuda seemed to slightly turn to the right as he passed the Thathachariar Gardens to show to his Lord in almost a thankful gesture of this huge mango grove on the South remaining largely unaltered. 

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IOB - The Final Bank in TNCA league goes down

April 22, 2017, 3:24 am

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We were never the Glamour Side but one that worked very hard, packed a punch above our weight and took great pride in our performance - V Krishnaswamy, Player, Mentor and Administrator

After SBI and Indian Bank, IOB has finally succumbed to the hard challenges of running a league team in the city

The last remaining Bank in the top notch of the TNCA First Division has finally bitten the dust. After SBI (which has now gone down to the 6thDivision) and Indian Bank, IOB (Indian Overseas Bank) , a renowned cricketing outfit from the 1960s has now been relegated to the second division after failing to win their final plate match yesterday.

The IOB cricket team was formed in the 1960s with the then Chairman and Managing Director RM Chettur being instrumental in the promotion of cricket. It entered the TNCA league after winning the Ranga Rao Trophy and then moved up from the 5th division to the 1st division 5 years in a row and had ever since held its pride of place in the TNCA First league. Only recently, in February this year, IOB had felicitated KN Ananthapadmanabhan for his contribution to the bank’s cricket (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2017/02/iob-honours-ananthapadmanabhan.html).

First Division Cricket from 1968

In the very match in the first division league in the 1968-69 season, the new entrants, IOB, beat Jolly Rovers, the champions from the previous year and a side that boasted the who’s who of TN cricket in a match at the University Union ground. 

Wicket Keeper Batsman S Ramji made his debut for IOB in that match after having been personally interviewed and recruited by the CMD. Ramji, who played five years of first class cricket, recalls the matches from those years of cricket at IOB ‘I had played for RBI for a couple of years and had been performing well but was kept away from recruitment on medical grounds that ‘I was too lean for a cricketer’. It was around the time IOB had made serious progress in league cricket in the city. The then captain Ram Ramesh who had an eye for spotting talent roped me in by pitching with the CMD. In those early years and for several decades that followed, IOB was not known for big names in TN cricket but it always remained a competitive side in the first division cricket finishing in the top four. We were always a hard working side wanting to compete with the best.’ 

How a Jolly Rovers' match cut out Kalli's officer posting at IOB

Former Ranji cricketer B Kalyanasundaram too was offered a probationary officer's post by Ramesh in 1970. Unfortunately on the day of the examination, Kalli had a match for Jolly Rovers. On ethical grounds, he did not have the mind to skip the match and write the exam. And thus, Kalli lost out on an officer's posting at IOB.

 He has the highest words of praise for both Ramesh and Krishnaswamy, who believes contributed in no small measure to the growth of cricket at IOB. During that decade, Kalli remained highly competitive and despite having a supremely strong side, Jolly Rovers never took them lightly as they had the capability to always spring a surprise. 

Nothing Glamourous, Yet Very Competitive

TN opener from the 1970s, V Krishnaswamy(http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2016/08/krishnaswamy-v.html) has been involved with IOB as a player, mentor and administrator. He feels saddened in the way things have turned out in recent times and with the fall of the team from the first division.

In 70s/80s, players were mostly part timers and were equally committed to the job. But they took great pride in playing for the organisation and were very loyal. ‘We were never the glamour side in the TNCA First Division league but one that worked very hard, packed a punch above our weight and took great pride in our performance. So, we were always a threat to the top glamour sides.’

This culminated in IOB winning The Hindu trophy a few times and also the Buchi Babu tournament. 

‘Eventually, with the team's persistent efforts, we won the league championship in mid 1980s under the captaincy of Vasan even though there were no big stars in the teams except a few who were knocking the doors of state team.’

Krishnaswamy also remembers missing the first division championship by a whisker in 1980/81 under S M Krishnakumar’s Captaincy.

The key during those early decades was that the bank focused on ensuring that the team remained in the 1st division. That was the only way for the public sector undertaking to attract players to the team.

During the early 1990s, Ananthapadmanabhan (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2016/09/ananthapadmanabhan-kn.html) was the only player to have played Ranji Trophy and most others in the side were ‘fringe’ players waiting in the wings for the next big break.  And yet, players like Rajesh Kannan, ‘Ramar’ Satish, Devanand and P Rajesh helped the team stay in contention in the 1st division league. And the team went on to win the Palayampatti shield later that decade.  

In those days, players valued the bank job and remained committed to playing cricket for the bank. Ranji Trophy players were paid a match fees only in the hundreds in those days. And a bank posting was considered secure and valuable. IOB used to participate in 3-4 tournaments every year and the players used to travel together on outstation trips and bonded well with each other.

In decades gone by, a bank job and playing cricket for IOB was seen as a great opportunity. Ananthapadmabhan remembers travelling by second class through the 1990s and sharing room with 3-4 players in all of these outstation tournaments. He also remembers the time when individuals / senior members of the staff used to spend for soft drinks and motivate the players, for the budget was quite limited in those days.

He also remembers an occasion in the late 1990s when during a four day Ranji Trophy break, he came and played a first division match for IOB in the city and went back only on the morning the Ranji Trophy match to play for Kerala. Such was his commitment to IOB and the importance of playing first division league in Madras.

Ramji says that even as a clerk he used to slog through the first half of the day before leaving for the nets session later in the day.

IOB promoted many promising cricketers starting from the 1970s. The Bank has been spending reasonably big amount of money every year on the cricket team in the TNCA first division league. However, the commitment of the youngsters has come under serious question. It is a reflection of the times one lives in that the players who have been given plump postings in the bank at a very young age do not even feel the regret of having let the team down, says a former player who had played for over two decades for the bank. 

In recent years, despite the bank going through troubled times on the business front, the encouragement to cricket did not diminish and the bank has boasted of several Ranji players, who have been given solid posts in the bank including in the officer cadre. And yet when it comes to performing in the 1st division league, their commitment levels have often come under a cloud.

While Krishnaswamy was always confident that the team would remain in the 1st division, he had noticed a decline in the commitment and loyalty of the players ever since the culture of contracted players came into being just over a decade ago. With the kind of money offered by the corporates, it was becoming very difficult to attract good players but with the efforts of veterans like Shanmugam, Amit Pathak and Rajesh Kannan the team was managing to remain in 1st division for the last few years.

The arrival of the ‘contracted’ players spelt death knell for the bank. With corporates paying a premium for the players, the bank just could not compete with the pay packages offered by these corporates and thus lost out of the quality players. ‘These players were simply playing for the money and had no pride in the team winning or otherwise’ Krishnaswamy says with a tinge of sadness.

Last year, IOB was forced to pick only 'left overs', those that did not find favour with the bigger teams, as they did not have the money power to pay 'contracted players' given that the business was not doing well.

Disadvantages at IOB

There were also many other disadvantages in playing for the bank. For decades, they never were in the favoured and considered set when it came to state selection right from the early days and hence the top players were wary of joining the bank. A top cricketer (now a top 15 umpire with the BCCI) was given an officer posting well over a decade ago but he quit to join a leading corporate fearing being sidelined in the Ranji Trophy selection!!! 

Another downside to playing at IOB was the lack of the home ground advantage. With the bank not having a home ground, the team was always up against the bigger corporate preparing tracks to suit their own team. And thus slowly the bank cricket saw a downturn over the last few years.  With one off performances from the likes of Rajesh Kannan (who scored a century to save his side from relegation a couple of years ago) and M Shanmugam who has been bowling 40 odd overs every match, IOB had managed to stave off relegation in recent times.

It is a sad day for cricket in the city that a renowned public sector institution that had encouraged cricket for several decades and one that was held in high regard in the cricketing circles here has gone out of the first division.  Krishnaswamy hopes of better times ahead but one really wonders if the bank will be able to make its way back again given the better bargaining power of the large corporates!!!

It will be interesting to see if the Ranji cricketers from other states, who had been taken care of well by the bank in recent years, would continue to remain with the bank in these tough times away from the lure of the other corporates.

Srirangam Chitrai Kona Voyali

April 26, 2017, 6:02 am

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Gifts from Andal of Srivilliputhur Divya Desam, Display of the 'beloved's' presentation atop the Elephant, Silver Horse Vahana beneath the 'Vandalur Chapparam', Golden Horse Vahana and the Exciting Kona Voiyali mark the 8th day of the Chitrai Brahmotsavam in Srirangam

While the 8^th day of the Chitrai Brahmotsavam is popular for the Kona Voyali presentation in the evening, the day is also special for other reasons.

It is the only day when the morning Vahana procession is delayed to 7am as against the 5am/6am on other days. And there is a good reason for that.

Andal's gifts to Lord Ranganatha

Early in the morning, a big contingent from the Andal temple in Srivilliputhur Divya Desam, led by the 225^th descendant of Periyazhvar had gathered at the Ranga Vilas Mandapa. It was an occasion to present Andal’s gifts to her beloved Lord Rangatha of Srirangam ahead of the famous Chariot festival the next morning. Mounted atop the temple elephant and led by the beating of the drums as is the traditional centuries old practice, the lead priests of the Srirangam temple went around the four streets showcasing the loving gifts that had just arrived from Srivilliputhur.

Have thus displayed the special gifts to the residents of Srirangam, these were presented to Lord Ranganatha at 7am.

The shining silk vastram presented by Andal is the one worn by Lord Namperumal the next morning on the occasion of the Chariot festival.

Historically, the day leading up to the Chitrai Chariot festival is one of the most crowded days in the year in Srirangam, both inside the temple and outside. But with the statewide bandh call on the day of the ‘Chitrai Ther’, it was a quieter day this year.

The morning Silver Horse Vahana procession around the four Chitrai streets on the specially decorated ‘Vandalur Chapparam’ was watched only by a handful of the local residents, leaving them quite surprised for this is the day when people land up from all the nearby villages in several thousands.

As the day passed by, the villagers started trickling in. Much like the Aruvathumoovar (63 Nayanmar procession) festival day in Panguni at the Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore, the evening prior to the Chariot Festival in Chitrai  in Srirangam is also one when food is distributed in large quantities, especially on the East Chitrai Street. Typical with the eating habits of the people, the food and water packets are littered on to the four streets making it a tricky exercise every year for the carriers of the Lord on the Golden Horse Vahana and the presentation of the Kona Voiyali later in the evening.

Better arrangement by the temple authorities to clean up the garbage meant it was a clean platform for the Sri Patham Thangis (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2017/04/sri-patham-thangis-srirangam.html)who had gathered in hundreds (Vethal Volunteer Group) to present the once in a year Kona Voyali  of the Lord on the Golden Horse at the Southern end of the East Chitrai Street. This Chitrai Horse Vahana is one of the most eagerly looked for event of the year in Srirangam.

Kona Voiyali

Several hundreds of residents were perched on the roof tops as early as 7pm through the Southern stretch of the East Chitrai Street with their video cameras to capture this unique display of Lord Namperumal.  A few had even climbed the Chariot, that had been colourfully decorated for the next morning’s procession, and positioned themselves on top of it to watch the special skills of the Sri Patham Thangis as they carried the Lord at great speed diagonally one way and then the other  in a zig zag motion. 

It lasted around ten minutes and the traditionalists had seen this for many years. And yet, every time one watches the Sri Patham Thangis in action with this Kona Voiyali display in Chitrai, one gets a new devotional feeling about their skills in presenting the special walking steps of Lord Namperumal within such a small area where people line up the entire stretch on either side of the East Chitrai Street.

The loudest round of applause of the Chitrai Brahmotsavam was heard once the Sri Patham Thangis completed the exciting Kona Voyali presentation in front of the Chariot. One found a great sense of happiness among these carriers of the Lord for having presented them with this great opportunity to showcase this zig zag walking mode of Namperumal.

 ( Video received as a forward)

As the Lord made his way back to the temple just after 9pm on Monday evening, one was witness to the not so happy part of the festival. There was wasted food scattered on South Chitrai Street. Devotees were seen sleeping all over the temple in several thousands in the Ranga Vilas Mandapa, in front of the Sannidhis, on the Manal Veli and in the Nandavanam.  Late on this hot Chitrai evening, there had gathered a sizeable crowd though not in the numbers one is typically used to in the traditional summers in Srirangam.

If one thought the day that had begun just after 5am with the welcoming of the gifts of Andal had ended with the Golden Horse Vahana Procession, the onlookers were left in awe of the devotional fervour of the Villagers. Well past 10pm, as part of their annual prayers, there were many who did ‘anga pradakshanam’ around the four Chitrai streets leaving many of the residents speechless at this total devotion of the villagers who had come in from remote locations of the Trichy District.

Srihari Prabhandham Acharya Felicitated

May 3, 2017, 2:39 am

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Prabhandham Students felicitate their Acharya for two decades of selfless service at the Vedanta Desikar temple, Mylapore

At a time, when a lot of compromise has been made over several of the rituals in temples, Bharath Nandakumar, now 30, has over the last few years been a stickler for traditions and has tried his best to ensure that the Prabhandham recital by the Ghosti at the Vedanta Desikar temple in Mylapore is presented in the way it ought to be including in terms of attire and the way the Ghosti have to present themselves even physically during the recital, a conduct and a line of thinking that should make his Prabhandham Acharya and Guru P. Srihari (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2015/11/srihari-parthasarathy-prabhandham.html) truly proud of a student who began learning under him at the age of nine, way back in the mid 1990s. 

The Early Days - The route to selfless service
In the early days in the late 90s, when Srihari began teaching, the Prabhandham classes, under the auspices of Vedaparayana Sabha, were in the evening. It was only after academics coincided with these classes that a request was made by Barath and his cousin to shift the class to early morning.

Seen from this background, Srihari’s contribution to our Sampradayam assumes even greater significance. A Senior Journalist at the Sports Desk at The Hindu, Srihari returned home only after 1am every night after the sports pages were made. And yet for the sake of his students, over the last two decades he has been at the temple at 6am imbibing the prabhandham verses into the next generation of students, many times even forsaking the much needed sleep.

Completes Prabhandham Initiation to the Second Batch

Last week, Srihari achieved an important milestone of passing on the significance of the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham to a second batch of students (the first batch had completed their course in 2006). This batch comprising of around 40 students had begun their knowledge quest in 2007 and they graduated on April 23 (Sunday) morning with the Satrumurai taking place at the Vedanta Desikar temple. 

It was a morning for the students to show their love for the acharya who had made a difference to their lives over the last decade. 

A current trustee of the Vedanta Desikar temple commended Srihari for his two decades long efforts 'What great institutions like Ahobila Mutt and Andavan Ashramam haven't done has been achieved by Srihari as an individual.'

Bharath has nostalgic memories of those days dating back a decade and a half and to the time of learning the Periya Thiru Madal. For students in the early stage of learning, this usually proves to be a challenging experience for verses there comprise of very long sentences. But despite making it to the class after just a few hours of sleep, the acharya would just close his eyes and reel out the verses never once missing a single word of the Madal showcasing to the students the importance of devotion while learning the Prabhandham. 

A mentor in their Personal Lives
To Bharath and many others in the group, Srihari was not just a Prabhandham Acharya. He was a mentor to them in their personal life as well. When Bharath reached that critical phase and an age when academics and prabhandham seemed to be at logger heads with each other, his father, who worked in Barathan Publications, wanted him to focus on academics and directed him to let go the Prabhandham classes. Srihari took great care of these young boys in those days and tracked their progress outside of the Prabhandham  class as well. No sooner did he hear the news of the decision to discontinue the Prabhandham class, Srihari went to Bharath’s house to meet his father.

It was a transformational hour for Barath in his life for it was that convincing conversation that Srihari had that got Bharath back into the Prabhandham class.  He of course continued to focus on his academics and became a certified Company Secretary but much before he graduated in academics he had completed his Prabhandham course under the caring eyes of Srihari. 

'It is solely because of Acharya Srihari's conversation that day, 15 years ago, that devotees make refreshing enquiries of my absence at the Ghosti even its just for a day or two. It is a blessed feeling to have been initiated into the Divya Prabhandham and Desikar Prabhandham by Acharya Srihari.'

A majority of the students in the first batch were in the adolescent phase. Bharath says that it was Srihari who kept their feet firmly grounded on devotional lines not allowing them to be swarmed away into the world of temptations that is part of that phase of life. ‘He groomed us throughout that ten year phase on the way to live and was equivalent to a parent in the way he took care of us. He took a lot of responsibility for the way we came up.’

Applauding a good effort
Barath also throws light on another special feature of his Acharya. ‘A decade ago, I was reciting the 2^ndlines of the difficult Tiruviruttam verses on a street procession on the occasion of Desikar Utsavam. At the end of the utsavam, he came up to me to appreciate my presentation and commended me for managing well the 2^nd lines of the pasuram.'

However, kudos from the Acharya did not always come easy for the students. When a delighted Bharath went up to his Acharya to enquire about the pleasing way they had presented the difficult last 30 verses of the third canto of Periya Thirumozhi (relating to Nangur), he was asked to go and come back with a similar recital a year later for the Acharya to check, for those verses had just been taught and he felt that it was still sharp in the memory and wanted to test if the sharpness still remained 12months later, such was the high standards Srihari set for his students!!!

Pulling up a forgetful student

On another occasion, during the Deepavali Ghosti, Bharath forgetting the verses of Naanmugan Thiruvanthathi did not go unnoticed and the Acharya took it up with him right at the end of the procession. Over the next 3-6 months, he ensured that Bharath was right up there on the Naanmugan Thiruvanthathi day and got him to perfect the presentation by the end of the year. Srihari always assessed the strengths and weaknesses of his students and put in his best efforts to cut out their shortcomings.

Bharath had always taken that extra liberty with his Acharya and while still in his class VII, he went up to his Prabhandham Guru and asked if he can teach ‘Athigiri Mahatmiyam’. When the Acharya handed him the book and asked him to recite that very long pasuram starting with ‘Chiththu Asiththena…’, Bharath fumbled in the very first line.

He had a timetable for each of the verses and knew exactly when to initiate his students into them.

  

Bharath is proud that his Acharya kept aside many of his other personal commitments during that phase to pass on his knowledge to his batch of students. Grooming and growing these students into the devotional path had remained Srihari’s mission during that period. The significance of his Acharya's contribution became even more pronounced to Bharath when during the early days of his corporate life. Bharath's night shift meant he would come back home only after 3am. And with the Utsavam procession slated for 6am, he was caught in a 'No Man's land' of whether to sleep (if he does so, will he oversleep) or remain awake till the time of the procession. And yet, for almost two decades, Srihari initiated these students with just a few hours of sleep every night.

Another student of the first batch, K Dayanidhi (Srinath) is now the Dept Incharge- Vaishnavism at the Madras University. And the teachings of Srihari is sure to come in handy as he passes on the significance of the Prabhandham verses to his students.

Unfortunate Development
Amidst all of the dedicated two decade long service of Acharya Srihari has also been the external transformation that one has been part of over the last few years. While the first batch of students remained blissfully unaware of the mobile revolution and were fully focused on the getting the best out of their acharya, unfortunately it has been a more painful exercise for Srihari with the 2^ndbatch of students clearly falling prey to distractions around them.

Last month,a former trustee of the Desikar temple and student of the 2^ndbatch was seen texting messages during the Ghosti while the Tiruvoimozhi verses were being presented at the Rama Navami Utsavam inside the temple. It served as a timely reminder to all, that not just the youth but the older generation too are compromising with the Lord lured by the mobile and its instant messaging technology.

Also, the new generation of prabhandham students have nick names and pet names that go against the messages from the Divya Prabhandham.  While Periyazhvar (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2015/09/periyazhvar-naming-child.html) directed mothers to name their child after God so at least one would refer to the God’s name while calling out for them, one often hears names inside the Desikar temple that is far away from the name chosen by the mother. Calling out as ‘Kapali’, ‘Dollar’, ‘Thakkali’ and so on just seems inappropriate within the temple premises and during the processions and does not seem to be in line with Periyazhvar’s advocacy.

Srihari's Praise at Thiru Kudanthai
In December last, the temple authorities as well as the devotees in Thiru Kudanthai applauded the devotional fervor with which the Mylapore Ghosti presented there during the Pagal Pathu Utsavam, the credit for that huge appreciation from the temple that was instrumental in the revival of the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham clearly goes to the two decade long selfless service of Acharya Srihari.

Debate between a Vidwan and an Acharya
An interesting debate between Azhisur Srinivasachariar and Srihari was a highlight at the felicitation event on Sunday morning. When the 91 year old, Azhisur Srinivasachariar referred to Srihari as 'Swami', the latter strongly objected saying that he had undergone Kalakshepam under the great Vidwan and hence it was not appropriate for him to refer to his student as Swami.

However, Azhisur Srinivasachariar dismissed Srihari off remarking that he had rendered a great service to the Vaishnavite community by creating the next generation of students that will keep the prabhandham traditions going for the next several decades and that the occasion was appropriate for Srihari to be referred to as ‘Swami’ even though he had once been his student!!!

Referring to the Maaley Manivanna Pasuram, where Andal presents the specific process to be followed (Conch, Drum, Ghosti…), Azhisur Srinivasachariar praised Srihari for the systematic way in which he has brought up his students since the mid 90s. If today there is a strong Ghosti to reckon with in Mylapore, the credit for that goes to Srihari, he said. 

The Final Word
Srihari, who gifted a sacred prabhandham book to each of his dear students, had the final word on the morning leaving a very important message for the 75+ students 'Present the sacred prabhandham with sincerity, do it with the intent of Service to God and Do not go outside and present the Prabhandham for financial benefits.’

That was also one of the unforgettable lessons to his students throughout the two decade long teaching - to present these verses to God and not to use it to further their financial interests. It is a lesson that has remained etched in the memory of the first batch of students who have vowed not to use this as a financial tool in their life. 

Rama Navami Utsavam Srirangam

May 5, 2017, 11:22 pm

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Kulasekara Azhvaar’s daughter in a Serthi Sevai with Lord Namperumal at the Arjuna Mandapam

Unlike many other Divya Desams in Tamil Nadu, historically the Rama Navami utsavam has been celebrated on the Navami (9^th day after the No Moon Day) day in Chitrai at the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam. 

It is the day of the coming together of Sera Kula Valli Nachiyar and Lord Namperumal and the one day in the year when the otherwise secluded and almost unnoticed sannidhi North West of Arjuna Mandapam comes to light. Through the year, on the occasions that Lord Namperumal enters the Arjuna Mandapam, it is at the Sannidhi of ‘Thuluka’ (Bibi) Nachiyar that he stops by.

King turned Saint Poet Kulasekara Azhvaar, of Thiru Vanjikalam, was a great devotee of Lord Rama and he had a special liking for Lord Ranganatha. He himself was born on Punarvasu.

Kulasekara Azhvaar married a Pandya princess and ruled the Chera kingdom from Vanji and later won over Madurai. In his verses he refers to himself as the King of Madurai and a Chieftain of Koodal. He also refers to himself as the head of Kozhi and hence may have expanded his kingdom to his favourite city of Srirangam (Uraiyur) as well.

Relinquishing his kingdom, he came and settled down in Srirangam and was taken over by the idol presented by Lord Rama to the residents of Srirangam.

Perumal Thirumozhi

He was so moved by the Lord of Srirangam and the devotion of the residents that he dedicated the first three decads of his Perumal Thirumozhi to the Lord and his devotees at Srirangam. With each passing decad, Kulasekara Azhvaar, from being a new entrant to this temple town showcases how well entrenched he had become at this sacred town and how he now knew the Lord very well.

தேட்டருந்திறல்தேனினைத் தென்னரங்கனை

திருமாதுவாழ்வாட்டமில் வனமாலைமார்வனை

வாழ்த்திமால்கொள்சிந்தையராய்

ஆட்டமேவியலந்தழைத்து 

அயர்வெய்தும்மெய்யடியார்கள் தம் 

ஈட்டம்கண்டிடக்கூடுமேல்

அதுகாணும்பயனாவதே

After thus beginning with three decads to the Lord of Srirangam, Kulasekara Azhvaar ends Perumal Thirumozhi with three decads dedicated to Lord Rama including narrating the entire Ramayana in the final decad of ten verses.

So heart warming was his experience here in Srirangam that he wanted to give the hand of his daughter to the Lord of Srirangam. This episode of Kulasekara Azhvaar’s daughter being seated alongside Lord Namperumal, the Utsava deity of Lord Ranganatha is played out every year on the occasion of Rama Navami utsavam.

Namperumal made his way to the Arjuna Mandapam at 7.30am on Thursday morning and soon after was joined by Kulasekar Azhvaar’s daughter.

Araiyar Sevai - Kulasekara Azhvaar's Verses

Araiyars led by Araiyar Sampath Kumaran presented these favourite verses of Kulasekara Azhvaar on the Lord of Srirangam much to the delight of the devotees seated in front of and around the Arjuna Mandapam. 

மெய்யில்வாழ்க்கையை 

மெய்யெனக்கொல்லும்

இவ்வையந்தன்னொடும் 

கூடுவதில்லையான்

ஐய்யனேஅரங்காஎன்றுஅழைக்கின்றேன்

மையல்கொண்டொழிந்தேன் 

எந்தன்மாலுக்கே 

Namperumal and Sera Kula Valli were then given a sacred bath on yet another hot summer day in Srirangam.

In a rare once in a year opportunity, Sera Kula Valli Nachiyar was all smiles being the Queen of the day. Decked with glittering jewellery and seated alongside Namperumal, she provided a Serthi Sevai at the Arjuna Mandapam.

As the devotees stood in front of the two, one was reminded of the elevation of spirit referred to by Kulasekara Azhvaar in his Perumal Thirumozhi and there seemed to be a mood of true devotion reverberating around the Arjuna Mandapam.

Devotional Tears

While the Chandra Pushkarani, a 100 yards away had dried up, there was no dearth of water around the Arjuna Mandapam for in line with Kulasekara Azhvaar’s praise, tears rolled down the eyes of the devotees much like the flood in times of heavy rains. As they shed tears standing in front of the Lord, one could sense the true love they had and that these devotees were truly experiencing their favourite Lord. 

Ahead of Lord Namperumal’s evening out for the Kodai Utsavam, Sera Kula Valli Nachiyar bid him a sad adieu and one could almost see yet another round of tears, this time rolling out of the eyes of Kulasekara Azhvaar's daughter as she headed back to that remote, usually unseen location at the far and secluded end of the Arjuna Mandapam for yet another year!!!

Thiru Vellarai Raja Gopuram

May 12, 2017, 3:24 am

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7 Tier 125 Feet Raja Gopuram to come up in Thiru Vellarai Divya Desam in 2-3 years

When constructed, this complete 'Lime Mortar' Tower will rank amongst the tallest Temple Towers in Tamil Nadu
Petitioner Ramesh says there can be no Raja Gopuram unless the HR & CE Act and GO 171 are amended

The Towers at the main entry point of two prominent and ancient Divya Desams near Trichy had been left as Mottai Gopuram and remained as such till the 1980s when a decision was taken to construct a world beating Raja Gopuram at the Southern entrance to the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam, that now stands tall at 236 feet.

The other one, the Pundarikakshan temple at Thiruvellarai Divya Desam (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2016/10/thiru-vellarai-divya-desam.html) dates back to a period when 3700 Vaishnavite families lived in the town. For reasons, unrecorded, the Raja Gopuram at the Northern entrance remained unfinished.

A few years ago, the then CM of Tamil Nadu (Late Ms. J. Jayalalitha) announced in the assembly plans to construct a Raja Gopuram at Thiruvellarai.  

The hereditary priests of the temple are all excited that their temple too would get a Raja Gopuram similar to the one at Srirangam as one of the priests guides me up the dark and steep steps into the inside of the battered Raja Gopuram that is also home to several bats. From the inside of the current structure, he turns South and points to the towering Raja Gopuram at Srirangam with the Rock Fort temple in its background and is optimistic that one day Thiruvellarai too would have a towering temple tower that the residents would be proud of.

Some of the ground work had started at the Divya Desam but the Madras High Court order restraining renovation in temples meant the work came to a grinding middle of last year.

Subsequently, with the High Court directing the appointment of a Panel to decide on the merits of renovation in temples, Thiru Vellarai seemed to get a life line with the Panel issuing an order to strengthen the existing structure at the Northern Entrance based on the technical reports.

Agama Objection to a Northern Raja Gopuram

The Vaikanasa Agama expert too had raised objection on the construction of a Raja Gopuram on the ‘Northern Side’ but the temple authorities through the Pancharatna Agama experts pointed out and clarified that their agama does not impose any such restrictions.

Northern Entrance shut, Eastern Entrance Opened

The Northern entrance which has for long been the preferred entrance to the temple has now been closed and the eastern side of the temple has been completely revamped and the entrance there reopened after several decades. 

The strengthening of the existing structure, it is being claimed, is being done through the best of modern technology. In fact a small model gopuram using these materials has been built and placed near the Northern entrance. This process of strengthening which began a few months ago is likely to take another few months. Over 30 cracks had developed in the structure and these are being rectified.

Once the existing structure is strengthened, the authorities will seek a formal approval from the panel for the construction of the Raja Gopuram. The authorities see this as a mere formality and are confident of securing the approval from the panel as they say they have followed the directions of the panel.

The construction of the 'Lime Mortar' Raja Gopuram, the authorities say, is expected to commence later this year and the plan is to complete the 7 Tier, 125 feet plus towering structure in 2-3 years.

When complete, the Raja Gopuram will rank amongst the top five tallest towers in the Divya Desam list and thus in a matter of three decades Mottai Gopurams in two ancient temple towns near Trichy would have seen towering Raja Gopurams!!!

While the temple authorities are thus confident of going ahead with the construction of the Raja Gopuram after following the due processes as laid down by the court appointed panel, TR Ramesh, President, Temple Worshippers Society, who has petitioned many a case at the Madras High Court relating to alterations to temple structure is of the opinion that this will not stand the test of law ‘There is no Executive Officer for the Srirangam temple as the Position of the EO expired on 16^th July 1966 (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2017/01/hr-ce-irregularities.html). Thereafter no EO has been appointed to the Srirangam temple. Consequently, there can be no EO for the Thiruvellarai temple (as this is a sub- temple of Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple). As a result, the initiatives taken under the EO’s order is Void Abinitio, in law.’

Quoting the Government Order 171 (a copy of which is available with prtraveller) passed by the Tamil Nadu Government in 2013, Ramesh says that that particular GO categorically states that any construction in a heritage site must be done in accordance with the principle of conservation of monuments laid down in the Venice Charter of 1966, Article 4 and Article 6 of which state that ‘it is essential to the conservation of monuments that they be maintained on a permanent basis’ and that ‘Conservation of a monument implies preserving a setting which is not out of scale. Wherever the traditional setting exists, it must be kept. No new construction, demolition or modification which would alter the relations of mass and colour must be allowed.’

Based on these, Ramesh says that it is clear there can no new construction or modification at the Thiruvellarai temple and that the proposed construction is impossible as long as Section 116 of HR and CE Act (One can only do preservation and maintenance of heritage structures) and GO 171 are not amended.

While petitioner Ramesh now sports a new look (as compared to the one in January of this year), it looks like the temple will not have it easy on having its own new look anytime in the near future, given his determination to take them on based on the rules governing alteration relating to heritage structures!!!

Varadaraja Acharya, a descendent of Engal Azhvaan and a resident of Thiru Vellarai for several decades is devotion personified. Sitting in a far corner of the temple in a devotional posture, he says 'it is all up to Lord Pundarikakshan to decide what is good for the devotees and that if he wills, the towering Raja Gopuram will come up.'

One will have to wait and watch as to the direction in which this story unfolds in the coming months. 

Desikar Mahavira Vaibhavam Ayodhya Canto

May 17, 2017, 6:50 am

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Enforcement of one’s right is not the way to a Dharmic life but fulfilling a father’s wish is

Rama as the 'Lord of Dharma'

Having showcase the teenage valour of Rama in the first 20 Churnikas through the Bala Canto (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2017/01/vedantha-desikar-mahaveera-vaibhavam.html) , Vedantha Desikar showcases first Dharmic qualities of Rama, the importance he placed to fulfilling his father’s wishes above all else and then his noble qualities in the Ayodhya Canto that comprises of a short eight churnikas. 

Desikar brings out Rama’s love for his brother Lakshmana after the latter had built a beautiful home in Chitrakoota and how his presence had made his stay in the forest so enjoyable and without pain. 

Towards the end of this canto, Desikar sets the stage for the upcoming Cantos by showing Rama’s love for Sita as well as his invincible powers that even Indra, Shiva and Brahmma could not match. He has had a lovely and happy time during this phase alongside Sita and his dutiful brother Lakshmana.

அன்ருதபயமுஷிதஹ்ருதயபித்ரவசனபாலன 

ப்ரதிஜனாவஜனாதயவ்வராஜ்ய

Desikar having showcased Rama’s valour of breaking two bows in succession and returning to Ayodhya with his wife Sita towards the end of the Bala Kaandam now showcases the dharmic side of Rama.

He begins the Ayodhya Canto with a simple churnika where he crowns Rama as the Lord of Dharma. All was set for his coronation the next day and grand celebrations were on at Ayodhya. People were eagerly looking forward to the Prince taking over the kingdom from Dasaratha.

It was at this time that Manthara angered at the celebratory process all around poisoned the mind of Kaikeyi and made her call out for the two unfulfilled boons that her husband had granted her earlier for saving his life.

Shocked at her making such an outlandish attitude of invoking an old promise at this inappropriate moment, the great emperor swooned following which Kaikeyi called on Rama and revealed the fulfilment of his father’s promise – that of him spending 14 years in the forest and crowning her son Bharata as the king and the predicament he was in, in conveying these to his beloved Rama.

It is in relation to this background that Desikar brings out the Dharmic qualities of Rama. To him, nothing was more important than making his father fulfil his promise.

It is a great lesson in life on the way to Dharmic life. In this heart warming Churnika conveying a great message, Desikar says that Rama did not battle an eyelid at hearing this piece of information from Kaikeyi. To most others, this would have been shocking news but not to Rama.

To him, the state of mind on hearing the news of the coronation, earlier, and that of now being despatched to the forest were the same. Fulfilling his father’s wish was paramount to him. Not for a moment could he visualise a scenario of his father’s promise being broken. Wearing the robe of a crown prince or that of one in a bark in the forest- both were the same to him for each was the wish of his father.

In this churnika, Desikar showed through Rama’s conduct that enforcement of one’s right is not the way to Dharmic life but fulfilling a father’s wish is.

நிஷாதராஜசௌஹ்ருதசுசிதஸுசீல்யசாகர

பரத்வாஜஷாசனபரிகிரஹிதவிசிதசிட்ரகூடகிரிகடகதடரம்யாவசத

Rama and Nobility

Desikar then goes on to the next quality of Rama- Nobility towards people of all classes and strata.

When he reached the banks of the Ganges, he greeted hunter and boatman Guha with a warm embrace, unmindful of the fact that Guha was a mere tribesman. He did not forget that Guha was a friend from earlier times and illustrated to the world through this episode as to what friendship meant to him.

Having spent time with Guha, Rama moved on to the ashrama of Sage Bharadwaja crossing the Ganges. The sage directed him to the plains below the hills of Chitrakoota and Rama instantly followed the Sage’s instructions. There Lakshmana built a Home so beautiful that Rama felt at peace with himself in the midst of birds and parrots and was full of beautiful colourful flowers and fruits.

He had fallen so much in love with that place that rarely did he miss the richness of his wealthy kingdom and felt that he could spend the rest of his life in this beautiful place.

When Sumantra who had stayed back on the banks of the Ganges in the hope that Rama would return was convinced that it was now a forlorn hope, he returned to Ayodhya to convey the news to King Dasaratha, on hearing which the King breathed his last.

ப்ரணதபரதமகுடதடசுகடிதபாதுகாகர்யாபிஷேக

நிரவர்திதசர்வலோகயோகக்ஷேமா

When Bharata who was at his uncle’s place was called back to be informed of the developments, he promised to return with Rama.  On reaching Chitrakoota after dispelling the suspicion of Guha, he tried his best to convince Rama to return but Rama remained steadfast in the fulfilment of his father’s wish.

Unable to convince Rama, Bharata carried back with him the pair of Sandals of Rama and placed it on a throne in Nandigrama where he performed the coronation ceremony for Rama and ruled the kingdom through the Sandals.

Despatches the crow on a Worldwide Trip

பிஷிதருசிவிஹிததுரிதவளமதனதனயபலிபுகுணுகதிசரபஸ

ஷயன    த்ருணஷகளபறிபதனபயசகிதசகலசுரமுனிவரபஹுமதமஹாஸ்ட்ர சாமர்த்ய

திருஹிநஹரவலமதனதுராலக்ஷ்யஷரலக்ஷ்ய

Desikar moves on to the next and the last episode in the Ayodhya Canto and to his invincible powers, one that showcased his dear love for Sita. This episode also set the scene for the upcoming trauma that he was to undergo.

When a crow pecked at Sita, while Rama was asleep on her lap, he rose and angered at the pain caused to his wife, invoked the power of the Brahmastra and directed a simple blade of grass towards the crow.

Unable to get protection from any of the renowned sages as well as from Shiva and Brahma, the crow came back and sought protection from Sita. Her compassionate gesture meant that Rama forgave the crow by taking out just one eye, bringing loud cheer from the celestials and the Sages.

Setting the stage for the purpose of his incarnation

தண்டகாதபோவனஜங்கமபாரிஜாத

Having seen the return of Bharata, Rama was keen to shift locations for he expected the residents of Ayodhya to turn up in large numbers to convince him to return. Around the same time, the sages who were continuously harassed by Khara suggested that he leave this place. Thus Rama moved into the Dhandakaranya forest where after meeting Sage Atri and his wife Anasuya, he moved on further. A number of the rishis there requested his help in protecting them from the asuras.

It is in this connection that Desikar refers to Rama being like a Parijatha. While the tree provides everything to those who ask from a stationary position, Rama was mobile moving from one to another demolishing asuras thus fulfilling the wishes of the rishis.

Pullam Bhoothangudi Divya Desam

May 19, 2017, 12:45 pm

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70 years of Selfless Service in a remotely located historical temple and yet the Wealthy Ahobila Mutt does not deem it worthy to build even a small house for the Bhattar in the Agraharam!!!

And a Salary less than that of  a New Cook!!

கற்பு ஆர் புரிசை செய் குன்றம் 

கவின் ஆர் கூடம் மாளிகைகள் 

பொற்பு ஆர் மாடம் எழில் ஆரும் 

புள்ளம் பூதங்குடி தானே 

Pullam Bhoothangudi Divya Desam (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2010/04/pullam-bhoothangudi-valvil-rama-divya.html) is a temple whose tale relates to the legendary episode of Jatayu Moksham from the Ramayana.  Praised in the Periya Thirumozhi by Thiru Mangai Azhvaar as a well laid out city with huge Mansions and Mandapams ( much in contrast to what it is now), Pullam Bhoothangudi was home to scores of Vedic Seers who in their chants through the day spread the message of forgiveness and patience as part of one’s lives.

இறையால் முத்தீ அவை வளர்க்கும் 

மண்ணு புகழால் வன்மையால் 

பொறையால் மிக்க அந்தணர் வாழ் 

புள்ளம் பூதங்குடி தானே 

Thiru Mangai Azhvaaar describes the scene around the temple during his time over 1000 years ago in these ten verses at the beginning of the fifth canto.

நறிய மலர்மேல் சுரும்பு ஆர்க்க 

எழில் ஆர் மஞ்சை நடம் ஆட 

பொறி கொள் சிறை வண்டு இசை பாடும்

புள்ளம் பூதங்குடி தானே 

The temple was amidst huge groves where bees provided sweet musical tunes to the dancing peacocks, Pullam Bhoothangudi, where Lord Rama is seen in a Bala Sayana Posture, was a place with huge water tanks and wet fields in which fish fell prey to the birds that then took their prized scalp to feed their young ones.

பள்ளச் செருவில் கயல் உகள 

பழனிக் கழனி அதனுள் போய் 

புள்ளுப் பிள்ளைக்கு இறை தேடும் 

புள்ளம் பூதங்குடி தானே 

There were huge coconut groves and coconuts constantly fell from the trees (that is one commonality that existed till the end of the last century as seen in the story below). The scared fish jumped in and out of water and water birds kept flying away. He also praises the place as being home to Vedic Seers who constantly chanted the Vedas trying to understand its inner meaning.

கா ஆர் தெங்கின் பழம் வீழ 

கயல்கள் பாய, குருகு இரியும் 

பூ ஆர் கழனி எழில் ஆரும் 

The temple was surrounded with beautiful red lotuses that seemed to bloom all through the year in the water tanks, where one also found bees drinking nectar and humming sweet tunes. He makes a specific reference to Punnai Trees that sprinkled golden turmeric like pollen.

Water, he says, gushed from the Cauvery with gems being washed ashore on to the banks in Pullam Bhoothangudi. 

While Thiru Mangai Azhvaar has praised the place in such glory, when infrastructure development happened over the last century, this particular location as well as Athanur Divya Desam (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2010/04/athanur-divya-desam.html), a couple of kms East remained sidelined and became to be classified as a ‘remote temple’ among Divya Desams. 

While several other Divya Desams have flourished because of the infrastructural development and ease of access, Pullam Bhoothangudi has been off the radar and been a rather quiet Divya Desam without too much of a devotee crowd.

For several decades, till the end of the 20^th Century, there was no access to this Divya Desam in a sad contrast to having been a ‘Well Laid Out City’ with mansions during Thiru Mangai Azhvaar’s period.

Right through the previous century, one had to weed through the green fields North of Swami Malai to reach this temple. And later, over the last couple of decades, a small one way mud road from Swami Malai was the only improvement in terms of access to this temple.

Five Decades of Pooja for very little financial rewards

M Krishnamurthy (Kannan) Bhattachar performed aradhana at this Divya Desam for five decades. Through the early decades, he was paid a salary of just Rs. 25 per month.  He had no house of his own and stayed in the agraharam house right opposite the temple paying a rent of Rs. 5 from out of his salary. 

A contented life in the Agraharam

Despite the lack of financial resource, the Bhattar and his family lead a peaceful life, for they were contended and did not desire things beyond their means.

The temple handed him every day a few kgs of rice for his service. The farmers who respected the Bhattar for his devotional service would come and hand over vegetables before they actually went to the market for the sale as a mark of respect to him. Jaggery too was presented to the Bhattar by the farmer who grew it towards the far end of the agraharam on the Eastern side. There were other residents who presented spices and pulses once in a while for his selfless service to Lord Rama. The then young Gopalan Bhattar, son of Kannan Bhattar, who was in his early schooling in the 1970s, would go to the fields and pluck Makka Cholam that was available in plenty.

Krishnamurthy Bhattar was held in such high esteem for his service to Lord Valvil Rama and that mattered much more to him than any financial rewards.  Despite the limited financial resource, the family was just simply happy that they had a small place to stay and food to eat every day. And that is all they sought in their life. Not once did Kannan Bhattar complain about the lack of money.

A rare Thattu Kaasu of Rs. 2 stolen away by the wife!!!

Krishnamurthy Bhattar received Rs. 2 once in a while as Thattu Kaasu when a rare devotee would make it to the temple crossing the fields from Swami Malai. He would come back home and hide it so it does not come to the notice of his wife. But pressed by the need for daily sustenance, she would somehow find this money and buy tamarind for that week’s Rasam. Angered at losing out even this Rs. 2, the bhattar would leave the house and go back to the temple to invoke the Lord’s blessings. Such was his way of life back in the 1960s and 70s.

The Coconut Falls and Rain seeps in

His wife, Jayalakshmi now aged 86 wonders as to how she managed to run such a big family with so little money in all those decades.She would make Rasam every day and the entire family would eat that along with Naarthangai. But even this was only on days when her husband Bhattar would bring home some Thattu Kaasu. Otherwise they lived their life on 'curd rice' with a fair mix of water (it was freely available then)!!!! 

Residing under the thatched roof, she remembers being woken up often in the middle of the night to the loud fall of the coconut from the huge coconut trees plunging the family into a state of despair for water would make its way through the broken roof into the house during the rains. This fall of the coconut remains the only commonality from Thiru Mangai Azhvaar's description of Pullam Bhoothangudi. The Punnai tree described by him in his verses too fell away recently.

46 year old Gopalan Bhattar grew up in Pullam Bhoothangudi enjoying the ‘Mann Kuliyal’ (Wet Sand bath). Often, he would spread clay across his body for 20 minutes and this would soon become completely dry on the body. Once washed with water, this was considered a sacred bath for it would remove all the dirt from the body and one felt a certain sense of purity after this. He rues the fact that gone are those days of such natural bath.

Brahmotsavam Celebrations
Dhadhyonam was presented to the carriers of the Lord in big numbers during Brahmotsavam. They felt blessed and happy and would carry the Lord with devotion each day. They were paid no money for this service and placed a high premium on the sacred food that was handed to them for this service.

Brahmotsavam was a time for grand celebrations and the agraharam reverberated with devotion during those ten days. These days it is such a humungous task to find enough people to carry the Lord even on this big annual festival.

20 kms walk every day to perform service in temples

The Bhattar who also performed aradhana at the Perumal temple in Innambur (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2016/08/ezhuthurai-nathar-temple-innambur.html) would for decades walk 20 kms a day making those daily trips morning and evening to Innambur via the fields.

Finally, Gopalan Bhattar's elder brother purchased a cycle for his father for Rs. 100 and during his final years Krishnamurthy Bhattachar cycled his way around Pullam Bhoothangudi, some consolation for a man who had not sat on a cycle for a major part of his life.

Mukkoor Azhagiya Singar liked the devotional service of Krishnamurthy Bhattachar and would lie down at the Bhattar’s house for rest for he considered it sacred to sleep in the home of a person who offered such selfless devotional service. Just this gesture of the chief of Ahobila Mutt provided enough life time happiness for the Bhattar.

Sacred Learning to serve the Lord vs 'Learning to leverage financially'

During the 1980s, Gopalan Bhattar learnt Prarthana Sooktham and Anna Sooktham, these were secret interactions that Bhattars have with the Lord seeking HIS permission for each of the processes in the temple. Gopalan Bhattar learnt all the sookthas that were to be useful behind the scene (inside the curtain). All his relatives and friends scoffed at him for not learning sookthas that would turn out to be financially lucrative in life (for example for Sudarshana Homam).

But he was clear that he would not go after money and that his life would be dedicated to performing service to the Lord.

After Gopalan Bhattar took charge of the temple after the passing away of his father in 1998 (he received just Rs. 45 as his monthly salary in the year of his death), he has revived many of the ancient utsavams.

A sad noting in the diary

There were plans to revive the historical Pavitrotsavam at the temple in the 1970s/80s but the authorities did not approve the plans. In the diary of Krishnamurthy bhattachar is found a jotting where he records with sadness his inability to perform the Pavitrotsavam during his life time even though this was discussed with the authorities as an important utsavam to perform for the Lord. In those decades of his father, the Lord had just a single piece of Vastram for the entire year which was considered a sin that they committed on the Lord keeping him tied to a single cloth through the year.

When Gopalan Bhattar chanced upon those notes in his father’s diary, he was keen to realise that unfulfilled dream of his father and started a three day pavitrotsavam after convincing the authorities. 

Over the last couple of decades, Gopalan Bhattar, as the single bhattar has performed dedicated service to Lord Valvil Rama much like his father had done earlier for several decades. And yet recognition from the hugely wealthy Ahobila Mutt hasn’t come easy.  For his couple of decades of single handed management of poojas and utsavams, he is still paid much lower than the temporary staffer in the Madapalli (who threatens every now and then to quit).

Gopalan Bhattar, who has been a resident of the agraharam for much of his five decades, still does not a have house of his own despite Ahobila Mutt owning land in the region.  With money pouring in from overseas, it would not be too much of an ask for the Mutt, in recognition of the 70 years of service of the father and son at this remote location, to build a house for the Bhattar in the agraharam. One wonders if the Chief of the Ahobila Mutt is even aware of the reality at the temple or is this all the recognition for a Bhattar family that has provided seven decades of selfless service. No house after 70 years and a salary lower than that of the cook do not add credibility to the management of the Mutt. During the Brahmotsavam, Gopalan Bhattar is seen all alone decorating the Lord in a special alankara each day. And after the procession, he is seen unwinding the Lord late into the night that sometimes goes as late as 2am.

The temple saw a big renovation over the last decade an example of which can be seen from the Raja Gopuram. But when it comes to rewarding the priest for his service, the mind does not come forward easily. It seems questions are always asked of the priest irrespective of the sincerity of their service thus bogging them down to the limited financial pay.

 

And yet unmindful of leading a financially insecure life, there are those like Gopalan Bhattar who continue to perform their duty with sincerity and devotion in the sweltering Summer's day without any of the modern day cooling equipment to assist them in this remote, not easily accessible Divya Desam of Pullam Bhoothangudi. They see this as an exclusive opportunity to serve the Lord and financial reversals don't bog them down.

( A more recent temple at Innambur without any of these historical legends - managed and administered by The Hindu Family pays almost three times the salary of the Divya Desam Bhattar !! Such is the reality of life)

Athanur Divya Desam

The situation was no different at Athanur Aandalakkum Divya Desam 2kms East of Pullam Bhoothangudi. 58 year old Balu has been the Mei Kavalar (Security) for almost the last two decades. His father had played the same role for over 40 years. He is now paid a salary of Rs. 1500. For several decades in the 2^ndhalf of the 20^th century Ramabadran Bhattachar took care of the aradhana at the temple while now 80 year old Sadagopachariar, who was born and brought up in Athanur performed the Madapalli activities, in return for which they received 6 Kalam and 5 Kalam rice respectively and a salary of Rs. 100 per month.

Thiru Mangai Azhvaar in the Periya Thiru Madal refers to the Lord of Athanur as one who measures time – The yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

அன்னவனைஆதனூர்ஆண்டுஅளக்கும்ஐயனை

நென்னலைஇன்றினைநாளையை

These Bhattars and the security staff have been counting on the prospect of 'Good Time' but that has seemed an endless wait.

With absolutely no access to Athanur from Swami Malai and no transport facilities, one had to walk all the way across the fields or take a bullock cart ride through the pits and holes from Swami Malai one that would be far more tedious than a walk.  Rarely would a devotee turn up at the temple. Despite these, Brahmotsavam was performed in a grand way with the local residents playing the role of Sri Patham Thangis and carrying the Lord around on Vahana Processions across the streets of Athanur. 

Over the last 15 years, Balu has been opening the main door at 630am and stays on till 12.30pm. He comes back again at 4pm and stays on till 730pm in the evening. With better roads and slightly improved bus services, he says that the devotee crowd has increased over the last decade but still nowhere like the temples in the main town of Kumbakonam and other bigger towns and cities. One has to still keep the temple open and wonder if a devotee will turn up on a week day.

With his devotional attachment to the temple, he has also doubled up as a garland maker and knots flower garland every day for the Lord in addition to the security services for which he is paid an extra 500 per month by the Ahobila Mutt. 

Over the last 15 years, Seshadri Bhattar has taken over and has been performing arathana service staying in a small thatched house North of the temple. 

One only has to hope that the Chieftains at the Mutt would also look closely at the lives and the livelihood of these bhattars in addition to focusing on 'big ticket' items and that there would be a turnaround sometime in the lives of these bhattars.

---

Srikanth Kapali Temple

May 21, 2017, 11:13 am

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Has presented Parayanam every evening at the Kapaleeswarar temple for over 2 decades, renovated the Nandavanam and Lighted 1500 lamps during Karthigai Utsavam 

Anyone visiting the Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore in the evening could not have missed the Akshara Manamalai Parayanam led by A. Srikanth in front of the Eastern Entrance.

50 year old Srikanth has dedicated his life to the service of Lord Kapaleeswarar. While in class 8 at PS High School, he won the first prize in an oratorical competition in which he spoke on Ramalinga Swamigal.

At that young age, he cared not to open the Thiruvachagam book that came his way as the prize. Later as a teenager, Srikanth acted in Historical Plays of Heran Ramaswamy donning the role of Muruga in Saneeswaran and Kumara Gurupurar in Thirumalai Nayakkar, among others.

In the 1980s, he briefly worked for a distribution firm and later also took distributorship of Rasna. But he was destined for more selfless things in life.

Into his 20s, one evening, he carried along with him that prize winning book to the Kapaleeswarar temple. One read of that inside the temple and he was a changed man. It became a daily process. He started reading each of the 656 songs of Thiruvasagam every day for the next 10 years.

Turning Point

In 1996, he started the recital of ‘Ramana Maharishi’s Akshara Manamalai inside the Kapaleeswarar temple. He calls it all pre-destined for only a few years ago, he had mocked at the elderly doctor (he used to perform pooja for a Shiva Lingam at a Doctor friend’s house in Abraham street) for discussing Ramana Maharishi all the time, what Srikanth at that time referred to as ‘Doctor’s Morning Mokkai’. And here he is today having presented a parayanam of Ramana Maharishi’s Akshara Manamalai non-stop every evening 345 days a year for the last 24 years. He says ‘Just believe in the Lord and follow his directions.’

A evening routine for over 20 years

At 8 pm, every evening, he starts with Mattitac Punnayam, Gnana Sambanthar’s 10 songs, followed by Manicka Vaachakar’s Shiva Puranam and ends with Ramana Maharishi’s Akshara Manamalai - 30 minutes every evening (On Monday, this goes on for 45 minutes. On Full Moon day, he starts at 7.30 pm). The devotee crowd has gathered in terms of numbers over the years. Several devotees sit in different corners of the temple quietly listening to the parayanam. 

In the early 1990s, he had performed pooja for three years at Virupateeswarar koil including organising the Kumbabhisekam. He also started distributing 10000 ice creams to devotees during the Panguni Brahmotsavam and presenting something to 500 Sumangalis during Navarathri.

Renovating the temple tank Garden

Over the last decade, Srikanth also initiated renovation of the Garden around the Kapaleeswarar temple tank. In the late 1990s, this used to be a discarded stretch of land with glass pieces strewn all over.

In 2002, he dug up the place, filled it with new soil and planted trees. Now one finds Nandyavattai, Thanga Arali, Vrikshi and Maha Vilvam.

He says that protecting the garden has been a big challenge. He has to encounter public nuisance for a lot of them throw bottles and plastics cups/packets inside. Rat is another menace. He is mindless of these obstacles and carries on with his service. He cleans the huge garden and waters the plants every day, one that takes a great deal of effort and time.

He collects the flowers from the gardens and presents it at the Sannidhi.

Lighting the Temple Tank - 1500 Lamps

Also over the last decade, he has initiated the process of lighting 1500 lamps inside the temple tank during 3evenings in Karthigai (and one evening in Vaikasi). He says with modesty that even this was not planned. ‘It is also God’s will. Nothing is in our hands. One cannot be arrogant to think that it is he who has achieved everything. ‘I’ is our biggest enemy in life.’

He gives an anecdotal example “Getting a good night’s sleep is peace for each one of us. During that phase of sleep, we don’t carry anything and we are empty but that is the time we are at the most peaceful. Imagine how happy we will all be if we don’t hold on to things during the day as well. Contentment is the ultimate route to happiness but many of us are always seeking for more of everything.”

Chennai Trichy Train Travel

May 24, 2017, 3:06 am

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Chennai Egmore to Tiruchirapalli 336 kms 2^nd broad gauge line launched

Relief for South bound train travellers

Travel Time likely to come down further by 45-60 minutes 

After several years of implementation delay, the two way broad gauge line covering a distance of 336 kms between Chennai Egmore and Tiruchirapalli Junction became fully operational last evening (May 23, 2017) with Madurai bound Vaigai Express being the first train to run on the newly laid track.  The 16 km 2^ndline between Valadi (near Lalgudi) and Ponmalai (Golden Rock) station was checked for speed and safety yesterday.

After clearance from the officials, express trains were allowed to run on day one at a speed of 30 kmph between Valadi and Ponmalai. This speed restriction is expected to be released soon and trains can now run at a speed of 90 kmph between Chennai and Tiruchirappalli, with any 'crossing' problems. 

The launch of the 2^nd broad gauge line is expected to reduce the travel time between Chennai and Tiruchirapalli by at least 45 minutes to an hour.

Earlier this month, the officials had checked the one other pending work between Vriddachalam and Mathur stations and this too has been cleared for speed and safety.

Rockfort Express to reach Srirangam at 330am

Rockfort Express which leaves Chennai Egmore at 10.30 pm every night was scheduled to reach Srirangam at 4.15 am till last year. This had been brought forward, earlier this year, by around 15 minutes. Come June/July, Rockfort Express is scheduled to arrive at Srirangam at 3.28 am i.e a travel time just short of 5 hours.

Most other trains between Egmore and Tiruchirapalli are likely to cover the distance in less than five hours. This will also have a positive effect on the travel time on South bound trains such Pandyan, Pothigai, Kanniyakumari and Nellai Express to Madurai and Tirunelveli respectively. Most of these trains stop at just one station between Vriddachalam and Dindigul i.e at Tiruchirapalli. These can now cover the distance of 215 kms in 3 hours as against the current schedule that ranges from 3 ½ to over 4 hours.

Soon one can expect Pandyan Express to reach Madurai by 5.30 am (6.10 am) and Nellai Express to reach Tirunelveli by 6.30 am (7.20 am).

Mahavira Vaibhavam Aranya Kaandam

June 7, 2017, 4:09 am

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In these 13 churnikas of Aranya Kaandam, Vedanta Desikar praises Rama's valour and sets the stage for the sad phase in his life of being separated from Sita 

Sees Jatayu as his 2nd father, performs obsequies for the valiant battle that the Eagle bird fought

Demon Kabhandha's directs Rama to seek Sugriva's friendship - a turning point in this episode

விராத ஹரிண ஷார்துல 

விளுளித பஹுபல மக களம ரஜனிகர 

ம்றக மர்கயாரம்ப சம்ப்ருத சீற ப்ருதநுரோத 

Having promised Sage Atri to protect all the sages in the forest from the demons, Rama began his task starting with Viraatha (Tumburu), who was earlier an assistant of Kubera. Once he was lost in thoughts with damsel Rambha, thus angering his boss Kubera, who cursed him along with Rambha to become a demon (Celestials Tumburu and Rambha are referred in Periyazhvaar’s Thirumozhihttp://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2015/09/krishna-plays-flute.htmlas well as well as in Kulasekara  Azhvaar’s Perumal Thirumozhi http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2016/04/thiruvenkatam-kulasekara-azhvaar.html).

One day in the Dhandaka forest, Rama was intercepted by this ugly figure. Lured by the beautiful looking Sita, he picked her up and flew away only to be knocked down by Rama’s arrows. He then turned his attention on the two brothers whom he lifted with his two hands. After a long tussle, Rama chopped off his two arms and the huge demon fell down on the ground. He then gained his original form of Tumburu and flew skywards praising Rama as a ‘Tiger’.

It is in this context that Desikar refers to Rama as the Tiger who laid low the deer (Viraatha). Rama thus killed many demons that disturbed the peace of the Sages.

த்ரிஷிரஷிஷிரஸ்ட்ரிதய திமிர நிராச வாஸர கர 

Having protected Sage Sutikshana, Rama moved on in the forest to another location where he met Agastya. From there, he moved to Panchavati.  It was here that demoness Surpanaka set her sights on the handsome Rama. Turning herself into a beautiful maiden, she approached him. When he rejected her offer, she struck at Sita seeing her as the stumbling block. And immediately Lakshmana, on instruction from Rama, lashed out at her.  She rushed to her brother Khara for help. He assigned the task of taking on Rama to the three headed Trisaras.

Desikar refers to this asura as an embodiment of darkness that could only be dispelled by the rays of the Sun. Thus he refers to Rama as the bright Sun who brought back light by killing the asura.

தூஷண ஜலநிதி ஷோஷண தோஷித

ருசி கண கோஷித விஜய கோஷண  

Following the death of Trisaras, Desikar moved on to the episode relating to the death of Dooshana who was assigned the task of killing Rama. He came with a large army, but Rama deprived him of the chariot, bow, arrows and then while on the ground chopped off his arms. And finally killed him much to the delight of Agastya. Desikar refers to this approach as that of an ocean.

கரதர கரதரு கண்டன சண்ட பவன 

Khara himself came forward to try and fulfil his promise to Surpanaka. And he too fell down in a trance unable to match the strength of the arrows that came in his direction.

 த்விசப்த ரக்சஸ்சாஹர நலவன விலோலன மஹாகலப 

அஸஹாய ஷூர ....... அநபாய சாஹச 

Along with the three asuras, he also destroyed their contingent of 14000 demons. Swami Desikar compares this episode to a young elephant that would crush the sticks on the ground.

This seemed like a battle of unequals. Rama directed Lakshmana to take care of Sita and ventured out to take on the army of 14000 demons leaving the celestials anxious of the likely outcome. Desikar praises Rama as one who could vanquish the opponent without any support. Unmindful of the size of the opposition, Rama went to the battlefield with confidence as he was determined to fulfil his promise to the Sages. Desikar attributed this confidence to his commitment to protect those that had approached him for help.

Desikar specifically refers to 'Saahasa' thus bringing to one’s attention the situation around Rama as he faced 14000 fierce warriors and this scenario of taking them on single handedly was fraught with risk and there was a likelihood of a failure.

மஹித மஹாம்ருத தர்ஷன முதித மைதிலி 

ட்ருட தர பறிறம்பன  விபவ விரோபித விகட வீர வ்ருந  

When Rama came back victorious Sita held him in a tight embrace that relieved him of all the pains of and injuries from the battle. 

The episode leading to the separation

மாரீச மாயா ம்ருக சர்ம பரிகர்மித நீர்பர தர்பாஸ்தரன 

Desikar moves on to the episode of Maaricha disguising himself as a golden deer and luring Sita with his rare never before seen look. When Rama earlier killed three demons one of the assistants Akampana escaped and reported the series of events to Ravana. Praising Rama’s strengths Akampana told Ravana that not even he could enter the forest and fight Rama and that the only way to lie him low was to take away his beautiful wife.

When Ravana approached his uncle Maricha, he was warned to let go off this idea, for Maricha had already experienced the might of Rama (earlier churnika http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2017/01/vedantha-desikar-mahaveera-vaibhavam.html).

Ravana trusted his uncle’s words and went back to Lanka. However when his sister Soorpanaka came back disfigured, Ravana’s anger knew no bounds. Lured by her description of Sita’s beauty, the desire rose and he once again reached out to his uncle for help. When he threatened Maricha with death if he refused, the latter who knew his time had come believed that it was better to die killed by Rama than Ravana.

And when Maricha took the form of the deer, Sita, as expected, fell for this rare beauty and thus Maricha took Rama far away into the forest before finally falling to Rama’s arrow. 

In this churnika, Desikar hints at this killing by referring to Rama acquiring the skin of the deer to serve as his seat. (Sita had suggested to Rama that even if he is not able to catch the deer alive, Just the skin would do)

விக்ரம யஷோ லாப விக்ரித ஜீவித 

கிருதராஜா தேஹ திதஷா 

லக்ஷிதா பக்த ஜன தாக்ஷிண்ய 

Jatayu just stays alive to inform Rama

Desikar narrates the events surrounding the death of Jatayu and thus points to the abduction of Sita. When Maricha was struck by Rama’s arrow, he shouted ‘Sita, Lakshmana’ thus creating doubts in Sita’s mind about the safety of her husband. She ordered Lakshmana to track Rama. On his refusal she accused him and finally forced him to go in search of her husband.

Following this, Ravana appeared in an ascetic form. Sita welcomed him.  Once near, he cast off the disguise and snatched her away.

It was then that the old eagle bird, hearing the cries of Sita, fought a determined battle before his wings were cut off.  He kept himself alive just to inform Rama of the developments.

Away from this last battle of Jatayu, Rama rushed back to find that his worst fears had come true. Sita wasn’t to be found and it was during his search that he came across Jatayu. While recounting the tale of his last fight, Jatayu breathed his last.

As Jatayu had mentioned that he was an old friend of King Dasaratha, Rama who was unable to perform the final rites of his father performed obsequies for the eagle bird as if he was his second father.

Kabhandha directs Rama to seek Sugriva's help

கல்பித விபுத பாவ கபந்தாபிணந்தித 

They continued their search in the forest and encountered Demon Kabhandha, who with his long arms dragged both Rama and Lakshmana. When his arms were cut off, he requested Rama to dig a pit and burn him. He had once robbed Sage Sthulasiras of his daily provisions and was cursed to remain a demon till Rama was to relieve him from the curse.

And once relieved of the curse, he had the unique ability to foretell events. In a transformative event in the Ramayana, it was here that Kabhandha on his death bed directed Rama to go westwards and seek the friendship of Sugriva, who he suggested would help him locate Sita. Thus Rama moved on to the next phase with the single minded focus on attaining Sugriva's friendship. 

Though Kabhandha was not a celestial, he acquired the divine form on his death, thanks to Rama’s touch.

The episode of Sabari Moksham

அவந்த்ய மஹிம முநிஜந பஜண  முசித ஹ்ருதய 

கலுஷ சபரீ  மோக்ஷ சாட்சிபூத 

Rama proceeded west wards and reached Matanga’s ashrama. Every one there had reached the heavenly abode except a lady who even though was from a lower caste was taught yoga based on her committed service to her leader.  Sabari sought his help to rid her from this life and lit a pyre and gave her life by jumping into the sacrificial fire. 

With this ends Aranya Kaandam and Desikar then moves on to Kishkandha Kaandam in the next set of Churnikas

Venkatramana M

June 14, 2017, 2:37 am

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The First Test Cricketer from Madurai was given a raw deal with the Indian team 
Compared with Prasanna for his natural flight and arc in the late 1980s, he was alongside two other spin legends on his two overseas tours but played just the one test in his career!!!
Yet another case of cricketing talent from TN that was not nurtured, protected and grown

Ramana sorely missed a mentor and Godfather!!! - R Dinesh 
(JMD, TVS & Sons), the man who spotted him in Madurai

In a matter of 3-4 years in the late 1980s, a young cricketer from Madurai had shot into prominence at the National Level, this after he gave up Basketball for cricket earlier in the decade. Everything seemed to be going in the right direction for the shy non English conversant man from the districts. M Venkatramana had a remarkable debut season in Ranji Trophy with 35 wickets, one that earned him an immediate test call. 

His Alwarpet and TVS teammate, K Srikkanth was alongside him on his first overseas tour to the West Indies. Legendary S Venkataraghavan was his cricket manager on that tour. On his 2nd overseas tour, another of the famous Spin quartet, BS Bedi was the coach. In between he was remarked as a probable successor to another of the spin greats Erapalli Prasanna, for his flight, arc, bounce and turn.  No other off spinner since Prasanna had shown that amount of natural zip off the wicket in India. It would have seemed a dream come true for any youngster to have had some sort of association with three of the spin greats.

But his confidence was shattered as quickly as it rose. And yet another talent had been sacrificed even before the bud was allowed to bloom.

Venkatramana was a high flying Basketball player at school and led the Madurai U 16 team and it seemed likely that he pursue that sport till the time R Dinesh, Joint Managing Director, TVS and Sons spotted him in a practice session and later watched him bowl against his team.

Venkatramana also played cricket for his school - the not so renowned (for cricket) Madura College Matriculation School. For the first time in its history, the off spinner led his team to victory against the fancied TVS School. 

From Basketball to Cricket- The Transformation

Dinesh was introduced to Venkatramana in a practice session way back when he was in his mid teens. He remembers that first encounter against the young offie in a match ‘He bowled very well against us, was very accurate and showed a lot of promise. I could see that he an ability to take wickets.’ Watching Venkatramana in action, it struck Dinesh that this teenager had it in him to play for Tamil Nadu, at the least. 

Finding his potential, TVS School immediately roped him in for class XI and XII.  Dinesh was also looking for a good off-spinner for TVS Cricket Club, his league team in Madurai. Having been impressed with Venkatramana’s potential, it was Dinesh who recommended to the team’s Coach to rope him in  

Dinesh was a senior at school. He was so impressed with Venkatramana’s talent that he would pick him up for all the matches in those early years, discussing about cricket while travelling together. It was those inspirational daily chats with Dinesh that led Venkatramana to quit basketball for cricket. It was one of the first transformational moments in Venkatramana’s life. Dinesh mentored Venkatramana over the next few years. 

TVS had a philosophy of ensuring that cricketers had enough time to scale up and practice their game rather than worry about money in a professional job.  Venkataramana was one of those from Madurai chosen to be supported by the Group.

‘Once we realised his capabilities and he started integrating into the team, he not only built up his game, but also became a key player by representing our teams in Chennai as well, and we decided to support him financially.’ 

It was Dinesh and TVS that opened the doors for more opportunities in cricket for Venkatramana. Immediately after his graduation from Madura College, Dinesh provided him with the much needed job security at TVS and Sons, Madurai.

Dinesh remembers Venkatramana from those days in the early 80s as a well mannered and tenacious cricketer, not necessarily aggressive. ‘He became a little more ambitious as he grew up and once he started tasting success.’

It was at the TVS Club that Venkatramana also came under the watchful eyes of PK Dharmalingam who coached TVS (both in Madurai and Madras) that decade. The coach would coach the TVS team in Madurai through the week from Monday to Friday  and return for the weekend to Madras to coach Alwarpet. 

Dharmalingam was closely associated with Venkatramana during his teenage days. He saw a lot of potential in Venkatramana ‘He was very sincere and hard working. Throughout that period, Venkatramana did not miss a single session. May be he was not all that ambitious but he was a totally committed boy wanting to give his best all the time. He had long fingers and used his height well to gain extra bounce.’ 

Dharmalingam suggested to K Srikkanth in Madurai during an inter TVS Club (Madras vs Madurai) to pick him up for Alwarpet in the first division league in Madras.

Srikkanth's role 
Srikkanth instilled the sense of aggression in Venkatramana not seen much in an off spinner in the state in the decades earlier. He attacked and went for wickets unmindful of giving away runs. It was thanks to Srikkanth that he remained an attacking bowler throughout his career with sole focus on disturbing the batsmen with bounce and turn. 

Within a year at Alwarpet, he was in the State U23 and U25 squad. Strong performances in the next couple of years in the first division league, age group tournaments as well as Buchi Babu tournament earned him a place in the TN Ranji Squad in 1987-88. 

'You will go places' - Kripal Singh
After watching him bowl, AG Kripal Singh, the then Chairman of TN Selection committee called him one day and told him that he saw great potential in the off spinner and that he would go places. 

A dream debut season

What a debut season he had in Ranji Trophy in 87-88 as he played a stellar role in TN lifting the trophy topping the wickets tally nationally with 35 wickets including three five wicket hauls under the guidance of S Vasudevan. 

In January 1988, in the final league match, he had his first big moment in the Ranji Trophy. Against a strong Karnataka team comprising of GR Vishwanath and Brijesh Patel, Venkatramana picked up his first five wicket haul. In the very next match, the quarter final against UP, he grabbed headlines again with another five wicket haul. He played another crucial role in the Semi Final win as well. Up against a rampant Sidhu at Chepauk, Tamil Nadu was in a spot of bother despite amassing a 600+ score. It was Venkatramana’s double blow including dismissing Sidhu that swung the match decisively in Tamil Nadu’s favour to take them through to the final. And he ended the season with 80 wickets in the final against Railways. 

An year with Vasudevan

Spending his entire debut year alongside S Vasudevan was a great learning experience for Venkatramana as he learnt further the nuances of spin bowling. Like in international cricket, where he missed Srikkanth's presence, here at the domestic level, Vasudevan made a surprise retirement announcement ( to provide opportunities for the upcoming Sunil Subramaniam) after lifting the Ranji Trophy. And that was a big blow to Venkatramana as the presence of Vasudevan for the next couple of years would have helped him sharpen his 'spinning' skills.

Vasudevan saw great potential in Venkatramana and believed he had it in him to scale the peak ‘Ramana was a very good off-spinner with high-arm action and was able to get a good bounce & turn that got him a lot of wickets. He was one of best offies in India in the late 80s and early 90s.’

The best compliment of his life
The then Chairman of National Selection committee Raj Singh Dungarpur too was excited after watching Venkatramana bowl. In an unforgettable moment for Venkatramana, Raj Singh came up to him and told him that he saw Prasanna in this young off spinner and that he had never before been this excited at the prospect of watching an off spinner bowl. It was probably the biggest compliment Venkatramana could have received at that point in his career. 

Alongside Srikkanth and Venkat in WI

It seemed at that time that all was going his way. His performances in the Ranji season coupled with TN lifting the Trophy earned him instant recognition. That same year, he was picked in the squad for the Bombay test against New Zealand but he did not play in the XI. Later that season, he was picked to go on a long trip to the West Indies alongside his club captain K Srikkanth and TN team mate Robin Singh. Venkataraghavan was the team manager on that tour. Everything was adding up nicely for Venkatramana in that phase. 

But how soon all that changed!!! Srikkanth received a terrible blow in his hand just ahead of the first test ( in the final one dayer) and had to return home. That was a major blow to Venkatramana for Srikkanth was a senior and influential member of the Indian team in that phase. He probably knew Venkatramana and his potential the best. 

Venkatramana had Venkataraghavan by his side throughout that tour but for a shy youngster from the districts who was not conversant with the English language, it was not easy to approach the legendary off spinner. 

While Venkatramana seemed to bowl reasonably well in the tour games, he did not get to play till the final test of the series - end of April 1989 - that had gone so drastically wrong for India.  The morale was generally low on tour with India having been beaten soundly in the one dayers and not having performed creditably in the earlier tests. Even that opportunity rose after an injury to a fast bowler and Venkatramana was informed only an hour ahead of start that he was playing. The pitch at Sabina Park was not made for spinners and Venkatramana did not get to bowl much. In the second innings, he picked up Desmond Haynes as his only test wicket - that in the last over of the series!!!

Left out of the Pak tour under Srikkanth

India toured Pakistan next in November 1989 but Venkatramana was told by the selection committee that he was being protected from that tour as it was expected to be a fast bowling dominated tour. Srikkanth was the captain on that tour but Venkatramana once again missed out on an opportunity to be alongside his club captain (India performed creditably on that tour with Manoj Prabhakar and Kapil Dev shining with the ball but off field controversies led to Srikkanth losing his captaincy).

Venkatramana continued to perform well with the ball in the domestic tournaments. In the final of the Duleep Trophy he picked up 6 wickets against West Zone to help South Zone lift the trophy. 

Shattering Experience in New Zealand

He earned a recall for the three test tour to New Zealand in early 1990 alongside TN team mate VB Chandrasekar (who had struck back to back centuries in the Duleep Trophy).  But it turned out to be the most shattering experience of his cricketing career, one that set him back by a year or two. 

Legendary spinner BS Bedi was the coach on tour.  He tried to modify Venkatramana something that did not quite suit him. Worst still, the training regime on that tour was the worst he encountered in his career. It was unsystematic, tiresome and completely burnt him out, more so that he didn’t play in any of the tests on that tour and was generally warming the benches at different venues. 

He lost his rhythm on that tour and returned with fatigue, both physical and mental. His bowling had deteriorated after being restricted to bowling in the nets day in day out on that tour. 

VB Chandrasekar, for whom too this was the last international series, had told me way back in 1998 about the trauma he had undergone in New Zealand having been made to run up the hill repeatedly on that tour as part of a supposed fitness regime.  It was not something Indians were used to – to run 10-15kms up and down the hill every day of a cricket tour (VBC had had a great tour opener with strong knocks in both the innings and yet the man from TN was overlooked for the tests when by all counts he would have merited a test place on that tour). 

Post retirement, Bedi was keen on keeping himself fit. As a youngster and especially being part of the spin fraternity, Venkatramana was susceptible to ‘crude’ lessons, became an easy bunny and never quite recovered from that experience.

Tormenting Times

Returning after that tour and with confidence low of having sat out most of the time on the international arena, he was caught in that typical indecisive zone - should he get into the corporate world to try and work his way up the ladder or should he focus on cricket and try and regain his place in the national squad. He opted for the latter and kept pegging on at the state level at a time when there was little money on offer for state cricketers. 

Five years later, he earned a call with the India A team that comprised of Ganguly and Dravid among others for a tour to Sharjah, thus opening the doors for him to press his claims once again. For the third overseas tour in succession, he did not get the chances he merited. He was the only player in the entire squad not to play a single match on tour. He was not even allowed an opportunity to ‘fail’. It was a tormenting feeling to be sitting outside on three big tours. Many a time he felt it was better for him to not be there (playing cricket). In those dark days, sleep often deserted him as he was left wondering if he would ever get an opportunity to bowl. 

When he was overlooked for every single game for India A, he saw it as the final nail in his ‘cricketing’ coffin and he could bear it no longer. He went seeking greener pastures in the UK where he played league cricket. It was also the beginning of his move from a player to a coach. He played there for 5 English summers, something that was to pave the way for his coaching stint in Singapore. He was the head coach of the Singapore National team for many years from 2005. Surprisingly for someone not too conversant in English, his coaching career has been far more satisfying than his playing days. 

A dozen years with the State had fetched him close to 250 wickets but really he had the potential to have done a lot better. 

Vasudevan who himself was undone by lack of opportunities even at the Zonal level during his playing days feels sad even today at the lack of opportunities for this talented off spinner ‘For some unknown reasons, he could not get the right opportunities to prove himself and play longer in the National Team.’

Dinesh is even more specific and forthright in his views on the 'Madurai Man' missing out ‘In those days, you needed a ‘Godfather’ to support you by making sure the selectors recognised you.’ Venkatramana did not have one to push his ‘justified’ case. 

Venkatramana looks back at those early days as one of ‘innocence’. While in the West Indies, he was far too scared to go Venkataraghavan, the one in New Zealand was an experience of being under a ‘dictator’. He was just far too subdued and the time just passed sitting on the sidelines. While the selectors backed him on two tours, the team management kept him away restricting him to nets sessions and tour games. ‘It never occurred to me that I was being unfairly treated. I thought this was the way it was and kept pegging at it. Only on reflection, does it now seem that it could have been so much better if I had been given chances on the field of play.’ 

Having seen him emerge into a competent cricketer after discarding Basketball, Dinesh thinks that ‘Ramana definitely did well (more than what had been in my dreams when I first met with him) for himself.’  But, by the same token he regrets that it could have been better if he had been mentored extensively with the intention of becoming an international cricketer ‘Venkatramana missed a mentor who could have helped him build his capability as a bowler and may be further sharpen his off-spin skills. If that had happened, it is likely he would have scaled greater heights and played significantly for India.’

Yet another talent from TN to miss out

Last year, Venkatramana was appointed as the head coach of Dindigul Dragons, a team in the TNPL that in some sense took him back to his roots in the districts down South. In the last few years, he has also been associated with the BCCI performing coaching duties at the NCA. Just past 50, he is finally reaping some kind of financial rewards for his 3+ decades in cricket, albeit through coaching.

But really his has been a story on yet another great talent going amiss due to the callous attitude of the powers that be in not taking care to nurture, protect and grow a youngster in his prime. It showcases to the cricketing world the fickleness of the sport - as to how one’s confidence can shoot up like a meteor and fall at just the same speed never to rise again.

Being a top wicket-taker in the Indian domestic season in a debut season is something rare. And to follow that with match winning performances in Duleep Trophy, one sensed that a genuine off spinner had come to stay. But neither at the State level nor at the national stage did anyone come forward to take care of such a rare talent from the districts. By the turn of the decade, he wore a shattered look.

There were no video analysts in those days. The ball wasn’t coming out of his hand in the way he would have liked after that NZ tour but he was left to fight his own battle. 

It was all fluid for him in that phase in the early 90s. But he had stuck his neck out far too much into cricket for him to look beyond. For a TN cricketer it was yet another case of ‘what might have been’. He was undone by lack of opportunities at his prime. 

The first cricketer from Madurai to play test cricket, Venkatramana had it in him to contribute a lot more to Indian Cricket. But it was not to be. Despite having legendary spinners on both his international tours, this talented off spinner from Madurai ended up playing just one test and mostly warmed the bench and faded into oblivion much sooner than one expected.

He has dreams of coaching the State. It is hoped that his coaching stint will be lot more successful and that he is provided with the opportunities to scale to the highest level in this 2nd phase of his cricketing life. 

Somanathaswamy Temple Pazhayarai

June 18, 2017, 5:17 am

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Birth Place of Mangayakarasi, one of the 63 Nayanmars

Several beautiful sculptures of Narasimha and Prahalada depicting legendary tales

Located 3kms East of Patteeswaram and half a km West of Nathan Koil Divya Desam is the several centuries old Somanathaswamy Temple in Pazhaiyarai, a location whose legend dates back to the Pallava period. In different period of time, this place has come to be referred to as Mudikonda Chozha Puram, Aagavamalla Kulakaala Puram and Raja Raja Puram. The temple complex housing Lord Someswarar has been constructed in a way that horses are driving the Lord on a wheeled chariot. 

Nandi undertook Penance - Nandipuram

Legend has it that Nandi, the vehicle of Shiva, wanted to meet Lord Vishnu at Vaikuntam and in his eagerness to meet entered without securing the permission of the security guards (Dwarapalakas). This angered the Dwarapaalakaas who cursed the Nandi who then looked up to Lord Shiva for solution. As per his directions, Nandi undertake penance at this place and was relieved from the curse at this place. In memory of this legendary episode, this region came to be known as Nandipuram. 

In each of his 10 verses of praise on Nathan Koil, Vaishnavite Saint Poet Thiru Mangai Azhvaar refers to this place as Nandipura Vinnagram.  Nandipuram served as the capital of this region during the Chozha Period. 

In the Thevaram verses, this place was referred to as Palasai, Pazhaiyaarai and just simply as Aarai.

Thiru Gnana Sambanthar's in his verses of praise on Patteeswaram temple makes a reference to this place in two of his verses. 

Moon God's Pooja

It is believed the Moon God invoked the blessings of the Lord at this place. Hence the Lord is referred to as ‘Soma’ Nathaswamy. 

Birth Place of Mangayakarasi

This is the birth place of one of the 63 Nayanmars Mangayakarasi who later went on to marry a Pandya King. She promoted Saivism in great style in this region.

Komali (Cow) performed pooja at this temple. Hence the Ambal is referred to as Soma Kamalambigai. Another cow ‘Vimali’ performed pooja in the nearby Nurayur where there is another ancient Saivite temple dedicated to Nayaki Dharmapureeswarar.

Architecture

The temple tower is entirely of brick construction similar to the one at Gopinatha Swamy temple West of Patteeswaram. Similar to that temple, the temple tower here too is in dilapidated state and has remained half complete. While the outer Gopuram is a brick construction, the entire temple complex inside is of a strong granite structure and looks strong even today. 

Pundarikakshan Temple in Thiru Vellarai near Srirangam also has a temple tower similar to the one here in Pazhayarai.

Inside the temple one finds several exquisite sculptures depicting legendary tales including those relating to Narasimha and Prahalada and the Lord’s fight with the asura. There is a stone carving of Lankan king Ravana lifting the Mount Kailasa.

There were also several inscriptions inside the temple dating back to the Chozhas that provided insights into Rajendra Chozha’s directions on contributions relating to temples. Many of these have been erased with the passing of time. 

During the Chozha rule, there was a majestic palace in Pazhaiyaarai and was referred to as Madurantakan Thiru Maaligai. There was also a reference to Rajendra Chozha Mandapa within the Palace here at this place.

Near to this temple is another Saivite temple in Panchavan Maha Deveeswaram, one dedicated by Rajendra Chozha to his mother Panchavan Maha Devi. 

A Kumbabhishekam was performed last year after a  gap of almost 400 years along with the Kumbabhishekam of the Patteeswaram temple. 

There is a Veera Durgai Sannidhi on the Northern corner of the temple.

Festivals

Lord Nataraja is taken out on a procession on the occasion of Aruthra in Margazhi.

On Chitrai Rohini, the birthday of Mangayakarasi, a special abhishekam is performed with a procession accompanied by the recital of the sacred songs.

In decades gone by, Brahmotsvam used to be celebrated in a grand manner with street processions  but today the temple wears a deserted look. The priest  who comes from Patteeswaram performs a one-time pooja and it is the security who takes care of the temple for the rest of the day.

The temple is open between 6am- 1pm and 6pm-8pm.  

Contact Sabesa Gurukkal @ 99525 30576 / Balakrishnan Security @ 95007 18152 / Balaguru @ 96554 80486 (a long time resident of Pazhayarai)

How to reach

An auto from Patteeswaram will cost Rs. 75. One can reach also reach Pazhayarai from Kumbakonam via Korukkai.

Thiru Ezhu Kootrirukkai

June 22, 2017, 5:57 am

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A 47 line composition offering absolute surrender to Lord Aravamudhan

In this Pictorial Poem on Thiru Kudanthai, Thiru Mangai Azhvaar invokes the blessings of Lord Aravamudhan to get rid of one’s past karmas and to bring an end to this worldly life

Classical Description: Mounted the‘Four Feathered’ Garuda to save the‘Four Legged- Three Ichored-Two Eared’ Gajendra

In the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham, Thiru Mangai Azhvaar composed a unique one of its kind pictorial poem, Thiru Vezhukootrirukkai dedicated to Lord Aravamudhan of Thiru Kudanthai (Sarangapani Temple). 

As the name (Thiru- Ezhu- Kootriru-Kai) suggests, this composition has been created in a 7 tiered structure and is in the form of a chariot. One can arrange the contents of the composition in line with this structure.

It is only a small 47 line composition but is very significant for it is here that Thiru Mangai Azhvaar offers his absolute surrender to Lord Aravamudhan stating that he has had enough of worldly life and seeks refuge in the Lord.

In this composition, he praises the many great qualities of the Lord from his various Avataras.

He describes the Lord’s achievements in his Vamana Avatara, showcases the Gajendra Moksham episode providing relief to the struggling elephant and praises the Lord as the one who conquered the seven bulls to save Nappinnai. He also refers to the Lord as the one who controls the pair of opposites like Joy and Sorrow.

A beautiful description of an Elephant

Thiru Mangai Azhvaar provides a beautiful description of the Lord mounted on the Garuda to save the elephant.  He praises the Lord as being so powerful that when he rode on the ‘Five Feathered’ Garuda to save the‘Four Legged- Three Ichored-Two Eared’ unique elephant Gajendra one day in the 200 cubit deep water, the four quarters trembled in fear.

நால்திசைநடுங்க  அம்சிறைப்பறவைஏறி

நால்வாய்மும்மதத்துஇருசெவி

ஒருதனி  வேழத்துஅரந்தையை

ஒருநாள்இருநீர்மடுவுள்தீர்த்தனை

In the last ten lines of this pictorial composition, Thiru Mangai Azhvaar specifically showers praise on Lord Aravamudhan of Thiru Kudanthai. He gives us a glimpse of what Kudanthai looked like during his time.

குன்றா மது மலர்ச் சோலை வண்கொடிப் படப்பை

வரு புனல் பொன்னி மா மணி அலைக்கும்

செந்நெல் ஒண்  கழனித் திகழ் வனம் உடுத்த

கற்போர் புரிசைக் கனக மாளிகை

நிமிர் கொடி விசும்பில் இளம் பிறை துவக்கும்

Referring to the reclining posture of the Lord, he says that the temple was surrounded by huge flower groves that seemed to give out nectar. There were betel creepers that, seemed to produce a special fragrance,through the year, thanks largely to being watered by the sacred Cauvery.

செல்வம்மல்குதென்திருக்குடந்தை

அந்தணர்மந்திரமொழியுடன்வணங்க

ஆடுஅரவுஅமளியில்அறிதுயில்

அமர்ந்தபரம

Also the lands in Thiru Kudanthai were fertile with greenery all around. The entire place was filled with Vedic Seers and recital of Vedas was a regular feature here. It seemed to have a reverberating positive effect on the people.

Thiru Mangai Azhvaar also praises Thiru Kudanthai as a place that had high mansions and it looked as though they were touching the moon.

நின்ஆதிஇணைபணிவன்

வரும்இடர்அகலமாற்றோவினையே

In conclusion, he invokes the blessings of Lord Aravamuthan to get rid of his past karmas and to bring an end to his worldly life and praises the Lord as the only one who can do this. He asks for permission to perform daily service to the Lord here at Thiru Kudanthai.  

Sarangapani Koil Thiru Kudanthai

June 22, 2017, 9:56 pm

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Unique Incentive by the trustees to the Sri Patham Thangis in the 1950s and 60s

84 year old Sounder Desikachariyar has been performing Thiru Aradhana at the temple for the last three decades to keep the tradition going 

The hand of the Bhattar would swell placing the Shatari multiple times in the day
on 200 Vedic and Prabhandham Scholars, half a century ago

In the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham, Nam Azhvaar praises Thiru Kudanthai as a location where paddy grew in abundance aided by the fertile waters. The Lord was surrounded by huge stone walls. Large lotuses were seen all around Thiru Kudanthai. 
ஆராஅமுதேஅடியேன்உடலம்  நின்பால்அன்பாயே
நீராய்  அலைந்துகரையஉருக்குகின்றநெடுமாலே
சீர்ஆர்செந்நெல்கவரிவீசும்செழுநீர்திருகுடந்தை
ஏர்ஆர்கோலம்திகழகிடந்தாய்கண்டேன்எம்மானே  - Thiruvoimozhi ( 5-8-1)

He saw people of extremely good qualities around the temple (நலத்தால்மிக்கார்குடந்தைகிடந்தாய்)

Thiru Mangai Azhvaar too praises the place as one abound with greenery (http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/06/thiru-ezhu-kootrirukkai_22.html).

Big Agraharam, hundreds of Vedic Scholars, Devotional People
Just over half a century ago, this ancient description by the Saint Poets still seemed to hold good. There was an agraharam right opposite the Eastern Entrance with about 30 traditional families residing there. There were 200 scholars presenting Veda Parayanam and Divya Prabhandham recital on big festive occasions. Villagers walked from distant locations to be present for the big chariot festival.Leading into Thiru Kudanthai, one found greenery all around. 

The priests of Thiru Kudanthai lived in a huge extended joint family that sometimes went up to 40 members. No salary was paid to the service personnel at the temple. They just received rice as the daily prasadam. That was sort of their only 'financial' remuneration. And yet they lived a contented and happy life.  

Among the three large Vaishnavite temples in Kumbakonam, the Vaishnavites took care of the Sarangapani Koil, the Sourashtrians the Ramaswamy temple and the Madhwas took care of the Utsavams at the Chakrapani temple.

7Decades of dedicated Service at the temple

Sounder Desikachariyar is 84 years old and a fragile figure now. Inside that lean body is a mentally strong personality, one that has been totally dedicated to Lord Aravamudhan of Thiru Kudanthai for almost the entire period of his life. 

For the last three decades, he has been performing Thiru Aradhanam at the Vedantha Desikar Sannidhi at this Divya Desam and is there early, every morning, unmindful of the scorching summer’s heat and overcoming the challenges relating to old age. He is one of the last remaining members of the Prabhandham Ghosti at the temple. He is also the one who has been assigned the rights for first Theertham at the temple by Patrachariar descendents.

Desikachariyara grew up right in front of the Sarangapani temple and spent his childhood days in a devotional way at the temple in the 1930s and 40s. There were at least 30 traditional families along the Eastern entrance to the temple with whom he enjoyed a great traditional childhood.

His father was a Sanskrit Shiromani and well versed in the Vedas. Sounder Desikachariyar looks at those days in the middle of the previous century as one of great joy ‘Devotion was at its very best with devotees committed to serving with utmost sincerity. For each of the Pancha Parva Utsavam procession every month, devotees would walk all the way from the neighbouring villages to be part of the festivities. For the annual Brahmotsavam, which was celebrated in a grand way, devotees would swarm in large groups from as far away as Papanasam, Thiru Nageswaram and Kottayur walking all the way to the temple along with their entire family.’

Ayya Kumar Desikar's Contribution to the temple
In the 16^th Century AD, Navalpakkam Ayya Kumar Thatha Desikar, a renowned Chaturveda Scholar and a vidwan at the court of the Thanjavur king ensured that the vedic chanting continued for the coming centuries advocating total devotion to the Lord and laying importance on the Vedic and Prabhandham recital at the temple. It was also he who helped recover some of the lost idols and installed it at the temple. He is also credited with having created the Komalavalli Thayar Sannidhi in its current form.

In recognition of his contribution, there is a separate sannidhi for Ayya Kumar Desikar at this temple, opposite the Thayar Sannidhi.

The Thanjavur king who had the first rights of ‘mariyathai’ during festive occasions assigned the rights to Ayya Kumar Desikar which has then over the centuries passed on to the Patrachariar descendants.

Trustees managed the temple – A special incentive

In those decades over half a century ago, the temple comprised of 5 trustees and they managed the Utsavams well during those decades. There were 16 Sri Patham Thangis who committed themselves to carrying the Lord on their shoulders on all the utsavams including the big Vahana processions during Brahmotsavam. 

On the occasion of the Brahmotsavam and during the Margazhi festival, the temple reverberated with Vedic chants and prabhandham recital. There were at least 100 scholars on each of these fronts. Veda Parayanam and Divya Prabhandham Ghosti would compete with each other on the devotional front. Not a single rupee was paid to any of them and they just lived a life full of devotion.

There was a unique incentive in those days from the trustees of the temple to keep our tradition going. Those who presented themselves in Pancha Kacham and 12 Thiruman to carry the Lord were given double the quantity of rice on that day.

Shatari on 200 heads on multiple occasions each day

Soundara Raja Bhattar, now into his late 40s is one of the well respected Bhattars at the Sarangapani temple for he is well versed in the agamas having learnt from the then revered 70 year old Raghunatha Sharma in Thiru Kudanthai. The Bhattar who has performed arathana at this temple for over three decades counts learning under this great guru as one of the greatest blessings of his life. 

His father L Srinivasa Bhattachar (Chellappa) too had performed selfless service at this temple for almost three decades through the 1960s and 70s without a salary before collapsing one day at the Chakrapani Sannidhi and meeting with an untimely death when Soundara Raja Bhattar was just 9 years old. On non festival days, Chellappa Bhattar would rarely get any Thattu Kaasu.

Soundara Raja Bhattar recounts the tale of how his father would come back with a swollen hand  on many days ‘My father’s hand would end up swollen as he had to place the Shatari on 200 heads in a most traditional way on multiple occasions each day during these festivals.’

It was not like the current period when Bhattars rush through the Shatari process in a matter of minutes almost as an exercise to complete.

90 kgs rice to the Service Personnel

The huge Uthana Sayana Lord, seen in a beautiful slightly raised sleeping posture is 15 feet plus in length.  Hence 15 kgs of rice had to be presented to him for each of the poojas in the day in line with the agamas which Rice had to be presented to the Lord on the basis of one kg per foot, as per the agamas. And 6 time pooja each day meant 90 kgs of rice was presented to the Lord. 'The service personnel that totalled close to 50 had no salary. We simply shared the ‘rice’ offering every day amongst us.'

The Big Chariot Festival

The Chariot at the Sarangapani Temple in Thiru Kudanthai counts among the biggest the TN temples. Back then in the 1960s, big drum beating in all the nearby villages, a few days ahead of the Chariot festival would serve as an invitation to the villagers to participate in the festival and to help pull the chariot around the four big streets. Villagers in several thousands would gather at the temple the previous night.

100 Bags of rice for a Single Day Utsavam

At the Ramaswamy temple, half a km South of the Sarangapani temple,the Moopanar family who belong to this region presented 100 bags of rice  on the fifth day of the Rama Navami Utsavam, when the Lord comes out on his favourite Hanumantha Vahana, Dhadhyonam was presented in large quantities to every single devotee at the temple. This tradition went on for several years.

For decades, the traditional families had lived in happiness spending a lot of their lives in chanting praise of the Lord.

And then the exodus away from Thiru Kudanthai

Into the 1960s, the real exodus of the traditionalists began to happen. And this continued well into the 70s. With HR & CE slowly gaining a stranglehold on temples in Tamil Nadu and with new land ceiling act coming into play, the traditional residents lost out. In a drastic fall in presentation of prasadam to the Lord, 90 kgs of rice for each Kaalam that was shared by the archakas and parijarakas came down to a total of just 10 kgs for the day. This had a direct negative impact on the state of their lives.

A number of the traditional residents sold their lands in frustration and went away seeking greener pastures. Veda Parayanam that was 100 members strong at this temple dwindled to nil. Prabhandham Ghosti now comprises of a team in single digit in this historic temple down from the 100s. For real big occasions, like a Samprokshanam, experts are roped in from across the state. But otherwise the year long utsavams wear no resemblence to what it was half a century ago. 

Lord on Wheels
The Sri Patham Thangis who had for long been traditional in their attire and conduct are no more to be found.  Lord is now carried on wheels and not on shoulders on most festive occasions around the four big streets.

Income to the HR & CE, Expenses to the Devotees!!!

Once the HR & CE took complete control, the expenses relating to the temple and the conduct of the festivals began to be completely passed on to the devotees as against the centuries' long practice of  the temple conducting it jointly with the support of the devotees (the original concept of ‘Ubayam’ – one of doing jointly). 

‘Ubayam’ (like Ubaya Nachiyar) referred to twin i.e a combination of temple and the devotees, but this was given a new definition under the HR & CE rule.  Today, all the income (which too is provided by the devotees) is taken away by the HR & CE while the expenses are almost completely funded by the devotees.

Housed between two rivers, Cauvery and Arasalaru, the Sarangapani temple has the maximum number (after Srirangam and Tirupathi) of Azhvaars (7 of them) singing praise of Lord Aravamudhan.   After listening to the Tamil hymn 'Aaravamudhe’  composed by Nam Azhvaar, Vaishnavite savant Natha Muni wanted to listen to the entire Naalaayira Divya Prabandham (4000 hymns) and was directed by Lord Aaravamudhan to Azhvaar Tirunagari to compile the works of the Divya Prabandham. Hence this temple is credited with having shown the direction for the revival of the sacred verses. Will the traditionalists come back to this ancient temple town and will the temple reverberate once again with Vedic Chants and Prabhandham recital? 

Will the HR & CE participate financially in the conduct of the Utsavams and the daily poojas in the true meaning of 'Ubayam' or will more and more hundials be placed inside the temple?

Early construction of the temple took place in the 7^th Century AD by the famous Pallava King Mahendra Varma while improvements were made later by the Cholas and the Vijayanagara Kings.

There are several hundreds of inscriptions dating back to this period including on the walls of the Komalavalli Thayar Sannidhi. Some of these, it is believed have not yet been deciphered. Sounder Desikachariyar is hopeful of ASI taking steps to bring out a booklet on the inscriptions relating to the temple so the devotees get insights into the contributions made by the legendary kings and the traditions that were followed during that period.

Seeing the sleeping posture of the Lord, a curious Thiru Mazhisai Azhvaar questioned if his tiredness (having fought the battle in Lanka) was the reason for him to be lying down thus. After hearing this, it is believed that the Lord slightly raised his posture to greet the Azhvaar. Feeling the guilt of having caused strain on the Lord, ThiruMazhisai  Azhvaar asked him to remain as is. And the Lord remained so ever after. 

The main sanctum has been conceived like a chariot with wheels drawn by horses and elephants and is truly a splendid sight to watch. 

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Poochatru Utsavam Srirangam

June 25, 2017, 9:28 pm

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A heavily weighing ‘Dhindu Thaavadam, Pushpa Duppatti’ and a fragrant Panneer on Lord Namperumal on the occasion of the annual ‘Festival of Flowers’ makes it a colourful and devotional event in the calendar of festivals at the Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam

A daily three hour long process, the special art of making the heavy and colourful Garland has been assigned to the Saathaatha Vaishnavas housed in the Saathara Veethi 

Vaishnavite Saint Poet Periyazhvaar has dedicated an entire decad of verses in the Periyazhvaar Thirumozhi praising the favourite flowers of the Lords in different Divya Desams. In one of the verses, Periyazhvaar lures the Lord of Srirangam, whom he describes as one seen in a Sleeping Posture, he refers to Iruvatchi flowers.

ஆமாறுஅறியும்பிரானே

அணிஅரங்கத்தேகிடந்தாய்

ஏமாற்றம்என்னைத்தவிர்ந்தாய்

இருவாட்சிப்பூச்சூட்டவாராய்

After ten long days in Chitrai when Lord Namperumal has been out in the hot sun in Chitrai with daily processions in the morning and evening as part of the Brahmotsavam Celebrations and with an intention to cool him from the summer heat, a 10 day festival of flowers is celebrated at the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam. Each evening of the festival, Lord Namperumal makes his way to the Manal Veli near the Eastern entrance, where he is decked with at least six different varieties of flower garlands specially made for the occasion by skilful artistes housed on the Sathara Street. 

Sathatha Vaishanavas (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2014/12/saathaatha-vaishnavas-saathaanis.html), the clan assigned by Saint Ramanuja to perform various services at the temple have also been assigned the task of making the exclusive summer garland for Namperumal on each of the days of the Poochatru Utsavam. It is also the period of 10 days which are one of the most difficult for the Sri Patham Thangis, the carriers of the Lord on the shoulders, (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2017/04/sri-patham-thangis-srirangam.html) for they stand in the Manal Veli for over two hours with the heavily weighing garland draped on Lord Namperumal

Referred to as Pushpa Duppati, the special garland on the occasion of Poochatru Utsavam, involving a special skill and an artistic touch, takes at least three hours to design and create. For over 7 decades Saathaatha Srinivasan had involved himself in this exercise during the summer month presenting the Poochatru Utsavam garland first to Namperumal, followed a week later to Ranganayaki Thayar in the week long utsavam dedicated to her.

Periyazhvaar’s Praise and the Malligai Flowers

The first step in the process is to create a Shakkonam – squared boxes measuring 8columns x 20 rows, by knotting these using a banana stem on a 7feet long 4 feet wide rectangular rod. Over 6kgs of Malligai flowers are spread across this and knotted on a banana thread. 

Praising the Lord of Thiru Venkatam, Periyazhvaar referes to Malligai flowers

‘திருஉடையாள்மணவாளா

திருவரங்கத்தே  கிடந்தாய்

மருவிமம்ணகமழ்கின்ற

மல்லிகைபூச்சூட்டவாராய்’

Designing the Garland with Marikozhunthu

Once the Malligai Garland is designed, the artistes focus on designing the border on all the four sides.  

On most days of the Poochatru utsavam, they design the border with Marikozhunthu flowers while on days these are in short supply Tulasi is used on all the sides for a more simplistic border design. With the basic Malligai garland and the border design in place, they get on to the process of adding six different varieties of flowers on to the garland. 2-3 artistes are seen at work each focusing on one aspect of the design and at different corners of the garland. 

Through this decad of verses, Periyazhvaar refers to flowers such as Shenbagam, Shenkalunir, Kurukatti, Punnai, Lotus, Davanam, Maruvu and Jasmine. In line with this praise, different varieties of flowers are spread each day on the Malligai garland and knotted at appropriate places to give it a colourful and devotional touch.

நிச்சிலும் தீமைகள் செய்வாய் 

நீள் திருவேங்கடத்து எந்தாய் 

பச்சைத் தமனகத்தோடு 

பாதிரிப் பூச்சூட்ட வாராய் 

Pushpa Duppati 

This Pushpa Duppati is brought by Sathatha Vaishnava from the Sathara Street (housing the wholesale flower market of Srirangam) to the Manal Veli to the loud beating of drums.

On the occasion of Poochatru Utsavam, a Dhindu Thaavadam – similar to an ornamental necklace is first presented to Lord Namperumal. This garland is light on the two sides and heavy in the centre with flowers in the middle made similar to a chest pathakam.

Atop the Dhindu Thaavadam, the Lord is draped with a Pushapa Duppati, 3 different flower garlands one after another. A small dose of Panneer is then splashed on the Lord to create a sweet fragrance all around him in the Manal Veli.

Sri Patham Thangis and their Devotion

Given the weight of the flower garlands, this is one of the most difficult utsavams for the Sri Patham Thangis of Srirangam for they stand at the Manal Veli Mandapam carrying the Lord on their shoulders from that stationary position for over two hours. 

Also, this fortnight (Perumal and Thayar Poochatru) following the Chitrai Brahmotsavam is one that showcases the devotional touch of the Sri Patham Thangis, for without the slightest twinge in their eyebrows they use this as an opportunity to hold the Lord happily on their shoulder. At the end of the 10 day Utsavam, the shoulder of each of these Sri Patham Thangis is seen with big bruises swollen red like a cricket ball. 

Presented to Azhvaars and Acharyas

Unlike other Utsavams, this set of flower garlands is presented as prasadam to Azhvaars and Acharyas at the end of each day’s event as against the usual procedures of presenting/ handing over to the devotee donor.

அள்ளிநீவெண்ணைவிழுங்க

அஞ்சாதுஅடியேன்அடித்தேன்

தெள்ளியநீரில்எழுந்த

செங்கழுநீர்சூட்டவாராய்

Ramaswamy Temple Thiru Kudanthai

June 27, 2017, 7:29 pm

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Vasantha Utsavam revived after 50 years 

At a time when there are issues relating to the halting of the Brahmotsavam at the Sowri Raja Perumal Divya Desam in Thiru Kannapuram, a Bhattar's pro active initiative has helped revive the historic Vasantha Utsavam at the ancient Ramaswamy temple in Thiru Kudanthai after a lapse of nearly half a century. In 1968, with financial crisis striking many a temple after the entry of the HR & CE, the Vasantha Utsavam along with the then vibrant Adyayana Utsavam came to a halt at this temple, where Rama is seen with Sita in a Pattabhisheka posture flanked by Lakshmana who is holding Rama’s bow and waiting for his brother’s orders. Baratha is seen holding a brass umbrella over Rama, almost as to protect him from the hot sun while Shatrughna is seen fanning Rama. Hanuman is holding a Veena with one hand and reading the Ramayana with the other, not seen in any other temple.

The Entire Story of Ramayana

One of the highlights of the Ramaswamy temple is the exquisite depiction in a three layer format of the entire Ramayana story on the walls of the prakara.  Inside the temple, there are several stone sculptures depicting historical events in a very artistic form. Some of the sculptures include Trivikrama Avatara, Sugreeva and Vibheshana Pattabhisheka, Sita Kalyana and Ahalya Saabha Vimochana.

Speciality of Vasantha Kaalam

Vasantha Kaalam was said to be a period that brought in a nice breeze in the evenings, flowers were said to blossom and a time that was neither too hot nor brought rains. It is believed that this stay amidst the breezy trees gave the divine couple a lot of happiness. Legend has it that one used to perform Jothista Homam said to help in attaining moksham, in Vasantha Kaalam. Hence the belief is that one will be liberated from his curse if he drinks the sacred water of the Lord during the Vasantha Utsavam. For this reason, it is said that those who visit and offer their prayers to the divine couple during this festival will find a new sense of happiness.

Earlier this month, Soundara Raja Bhattar, who has been at the temple for over three decades and whose father had performed service here for almost three decades, was listening to an upanyasam from the Ramayana.

He jumped up when he heard a reference to the divine couple Rama and Sita enjoying themselves in Ekantham in the forest amidst the beautiful groves with a cool breeze sweeping across them and fragrant flowers providing them with a sweet scent. The words described in the Aranya Kaandam were ‘Vasantha Vihaaram.’ It struck him that this temple had not seen the Vasantha Utsavam for several decades even though it had been an integral part of the annual calendar till 1968 and that it could not be continued for paucity of funds in the late 60s and 70s.

As is the case with most of the temples these days, the Bhattar had to also find a donar to fund the entire Utsavam for the HR & CE does not spend on organizing festivals!!

Soundara Raja Bhattar approached the auditor, whose inspiring Upanyasam had been the reason for the revival thought to occur to him. While the devotee agreed to take care of the entire expenses, an utsavam ‘fee’ had to be paid to the HR & CE to organize the utsavam.

Revived on the Punarvasu day in Aani

And thus after almost five decades, a three day Vasantha Utsavam began on the Punarvasu day this Aani (Sunday June 25). Similar to that description in the Aranya Kaandam, the divine couple came out on a procession, with the tall coconut groves seen on the three sides of the outer prakara waving their branches as if in happiness of seeing the divine couple and almost in a welcoming gesture of having once again agreed to be present beneath the groves through the evening.

Very few devotees had witnessed the previous Vasantha Utsavam at this temple way back in the 1960s and they were delighted that they could have darshan of Rama and Sita out in the open for over two hours. This is the only utsavam at the Ramaswamy temple where the two are seen amidst the groves for this length of time.

Kalyana Kolam/ Rajathi Raja Kolam

On day two on Monday evening, Rama and Sita came out in a beautiful Kalyana Kolam while on the final evening ( June 27), it was the ‘Rajathi Raja’ Kolam with Rama in a majestic posture holding a bow in his left hand and arrow in his right while sporting a tall crown. The beautiful alankaram of the two presented by Soundara Raja Bhattar left everyone delighted and 100s of devotees stayed back well past 9.30 pm to enjoy this devotional experience that they had hitherto not seen in their life time at this temple.

Bharatanatyam/Flute Recital / Nadaswaram Kutcheri

At the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam, in centuries gone by, people belonging to the Daasi Community were honoured during the Vasanthotsavam with a garland of the Lord. They were believed to have lit the lamp and performed a special dance in front of the Lord at the Vasantha Mandapam.

Here too, at the Ramaswamy temple, adding to the visual treat on the first evening of the Vasanthotsavam was a special 90minute Bharatanatyam presentation by a 10 member group. On the 2^nd evening was a flute recital by a young boy and on the final evening, a 10 member Nadaswaram group presented a lively kutcheri. 

Once again it has been a proactive initiative of a Bhattar and a subsequent agreement to fund the utsavam that has led to the revival of the Vasantha Utsavam at this temple.

However, as has been the case in recent times, the HR & CE that administers the temple did not contribute a single rupee to the three day utsavam.

Quite a time we live in!! The bhattar revives, organizes and secures the funding for the utsavam that had come to a halt after HR & CE came into force.  While they should have actually contributed to the revival, they had to be paid a ‘festival’ fee.

Kudos though to the bhattar for having revived a festival after a gap of five decades.It is hoped he will be able to revive the Adyayana Utsavam as well.

Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Renovation Issues

June 28, 2017, 12:08 pm

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‘The request for repair works of the Moolavar idol came from the decades long Archakars. The Sthalathars and Theerthakars not only approved of the need to conduct repairs, they also inspected and approved the quality of the work - Pon Jayaraman, JC, Srirangam Temple

'All repair works done as per Agama Sastras and in line with keeping the heritage structure intact'

'All one needs to remember is that Periya Perumal is keeping a watch on each one of us - the devotees, the officials, the service personnel' 

Ever since the biggest renovation exercise seen at the Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, one that was completed in late 2015, there have been many questions raised. I worked on this story over a long 18 month period tracking each of the Sannidhis at the temple, speaking to thousands of devotees who are regulars to the temple, some for several decades, interacting with archakars in many different sannidhis to get their view on the huge restoration exercise. 

Having myself been a regular at the temple for over four decades, this was easily the best renovation exercise in almost half a century in terms of devotional experience. Many of the Sannidhis that had remained largely closed for decades are now fully functional.  The pathway to the 1000 Pillared Mandapa from the Thayar Sannidhi too had remained dysfunctional for decades. That has been completely cleaned up and for the last year and a half it has been refreshing for the devotees to explore that path.

In the 1970s and 80s, a devotee could stand in front of the Moolavar for as long as he or she wished. There were times in those decades when local residents would revisit the Moolavar several times in a day. This continued to be the case even in the early 90s.

However, that has changed dramatically over the last decade or two with the devotee crowd increasing manifold, from the hundreds to several thousands on each of the weekdays. On Friday and over the weekend, one’s prayers is restricted to a few seconds at the Moolavar Sannidhi, such is the size of the crowd. The days of multiple visits are behind us. In such times, it is but natural to create convenient pathways for devotees to make it an easier devotional experience.

Crowd Management on Panguni Uthiram

The darshan of the divine couple on the occasion of Panguni Uthiram is a prime case in point. Over the last decade, many different crowd management models have been tried out but most have not work out. Given a 12 hour time frame and a crowd of 50000+, one has to find practical solutions to assist peaceful entry for darshan and a safe exit, for there are thousands of senior citizens who too make it on this day. 

It is important to remember that the temples here are one of devotional experience and hence LIVE monuments. There is a certain devotional fervour to the visits, especially of some of the renowned ancient temples.  Hence while some newer 'exit' paths are created, in such large temples with such a huge rush on certain festive occasions, such decisions have become a reality.

Sacred Verses off in a Sannidhi

In another Sannidhi, a couple of sacred verses that had been inscribed from decades ago had to make way during the renovation. It is a devotional loss to the devotees but in the larger scheme of things, one had to accept some of these losses for the larger good of the temple.

No more going around the inner prakara

Decades ago, it was a great experience to go around the inner prakara including through the Kili Mandapa. Unfortunately given the huge crowds that one now witnesses even on week days, it is a challenge to allow entry and exit through the eastern side of the inner prakara. It is a bit saddening as a devotee of not being able to do what one did for several decades but for most devotees this is quite understandable as there are on the ground practical challenges relating to managing the huge crowds these days and hence certain restrictions such as these actually help in larger interests of a peaceful and safe darshan.

Clarification on the Moolavar Idol of Lord Ranganatha

Given the many different comments that have been spread around relating to renovation of moolavar idol of Lord Ranganatha, I raised the issue with the HR & CE and sought the official story and their version posing a number of questions. 

Shri. Pon Jayaraman, the Joint Commissioner of the Srirangam temple is communicative, easily accessible and provides a hearing to all those who want to share information or raise temple related issues with him. 

It may not be possible to keep all the devotees happy at all times but he surely has put in an effort to action every positive suggestion given by the devotees at the temple. There may still be many wrongs taking place at this huge temple. And he in many of the discussions I have had has promised time and again to try his best to solve the issues relating to the devotees and to give them the best possible devotional experience at the temple.

In an Exclusive response to prtraveller’s detailed questions about the perceived replacement of the moolavar idol (in parts), the HR & CE has said that the entire renovation of the temple in 2015 has taken place in an open and transparent manner and without any damaging any structure in the temple.

Repair Works of the Moolavar Idol

Pon Jayaraman said that it was the several decades experienced Archakars of the temple who had initially brought some of the challenges, relating to the Moolavar idol, to the notice of the HR & CE and requested them formally to inspect the idol and take corrective measures (a copy of this letter dating back to Sept 2015 is available with this writer).

Further to this request, a meeting of the Sthalathars, Archakars and Kainkaryapakas took place in the same month and a decision was taken with the consent of all concerned to inspect and undertake repair works of the Moolavar idol. The written consent for this was also obtained from Sri Ranga Narayana Jeer in addition to the others mentioned above ( a copy of this too is available with this writer). 

Pon Jayaraman, who oversaw the repair works at the temple says, with a devotional authority, that almost defies the personality of a typical HR & CE official ‘Only those parts that were referred to by the archakars were touched upon.  In the entire renovation activity across the temple, I can say with devotional truth that we have ensured that the heritage aspects are protected and none of the structures or idols have been altered anywhere.’

He adds, something very rarely heard from a HR & CE official ‘Do not forget that Periya Perumal is watching me from a distance of a few hundred yards every day of my stint here. Any one, be it a devotee or an official or a service personnel, who acts against the wishes of the Lord here cannot escape the fury of the mighty Lord.’

It is particularly pleasing to hear a Joint Commissioner repeatedly remark about ‘the importance of devotional truth and how no one who conducts himself against the Lord’s interest at this temple is likely to be spared.’

'There has been not an inch of activity that has taken place during the renovation that was against the Agama Sastra' he says, once again bringing a devotional touch to the conversation.

He points out that neither the hand nor the leg has been replaced as has been made out to be by people working against the interest of the temple.

'During the period of the repairs, the Sthalathar and Theerthakar of the temple conducted two inspections and were fully satisfied that the works were carried out as per the agamas and recorded this with the HR & CE at that time.' (a copy of this statement too is available with this writer)

Best Renovation Initiative in their life time
Multiple archakars, each with decades of service at this temple, spoken to over the last 18 months state that this has been the best restoration they had seen in their lifetime of service and that it was unlikely that such a restoration effort was possible again in the foreseeable future. ‘Given the size of the temple and the number of sannidhis involved, this was an effort that is unlikely to be replicated in another temple of this size’ says a Bhattar who has been at the temple for over two decades and who also performs  service at an independent sannidhi inside the temple. Of course, these Bhattars also spoke about additional things that they would have liked to have been done in different Sannidhis. For example, the Madapalli work in one of the Sannidhis remains incomplete to this day but they are of the view that smaller issues of this nature was always likely when there is a renovation of this magnitude and are hence hoping that such minor pending issues will be completed in course of time.

The truth is there for all to see. Those who have been regulars to the temple and who have seen the temple and the Lord for decades know what a transformative change it has been at the temple in the last couple of years. 

In this blog, there have been several stories written on issues relating to HR & CE and Divya Desam temples across Tamil Nadu. A huge temple such as the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam will continue to have different kinds of issues on an ongoing basis. One can only hope that the authorities will keep taking proactive measures to better the devotional experience for the visitors to the temple. 

As crowd swells in the face of this new devotional wave that is sweeping TN temples, newer challenges will continue to arise and hopefully each of these will be looked into and solved in the best interest of the devotees. 

And here at this temple in Srirangam, with an Executive Officer whose doors are always open for devotees, there is always an opportunity for devotees to share their grievances and to find an acceptable solution to the problems. And that is a step in the right direction, one that other HR &CE officials across the temples in TN would do well to emulate.

Thiru Mogur Kalamegha Perumal

July 2, 2017, 10:11 pm

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Financial Insecurities of the 20th Century leads the 'NextGen' Bhattars into the Corporate World

The Traditional daily 'Nadaswaram' becomes a thing of the Past in this ancient Divya Desam

The financial challenges of the 70s and 80s led a priest’s family to instill in the minds of the NextGen an urge to become academically proficient and to look for a life away from temple service after having performed over 80 years of service at the ancient Kaalamegha Perumal Divya Desam in Thiru Mogur (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2007/12/thirumogur-kaalamegha-perumal.html) that Nam Azhvaar in his Thiruvoimozhi praised as a place that was full of vedic seers and learned scholars.

நலம்கொள்நான்மறைவாணர்கள்வாழ்திருமோகூர்

And a place where the Lord in a sleeping posture was amidst Red Lotus flowers that bloomed all around all through the year. Quite unlike his praise of other Divya Desams, he began the praise of Thiru Mogur with a description of the Red Lotus flowers that he saw in the many lakes and tanks around the Lord.

தாளதாமரைதடம்அணிவயல்திருமோகூர்

நாளும்மேவிநன்குஅமர்ந்துநின்றுஅசுரரைத்தகர்க்கும்

தோளும்நான்குஉடைச்சரிகமலக்கண்கனிவாய்க்

காளமேகத்தைஅன்றிமற்றொன்றுஇலம்கதியே

As he turned around and looked, he found Sugarcane and Paddy fields all around the Lord that brought certain vibrancy to the Life at Thiru Mogur. The tank on the Northern side now looks dirty and has gone dry.

என்திசையும்ஈனகரும்பொடுபெரும்செந்நெல்விளைய

கொண்டகோயிலைவலஞ்செய்துஇங்குஆடும்கூத்தே

The two sons of Ramakrishna Bhattar of Thiru Mogur have found their way into the IT world and merged into the lifestyle of a city.

Just as a paradox, over the last decade or so, the Kalamegha Perumal Divya Desam in Thiru Mogur has revived, financially, beyond recognition. Promotion of Chakkarathazhavar as a financially life saving deity led to huge devotee crowd at the temple on certain days in the week. Money has also poured into the temple as part of the fund collection exercise during the previous renovation through the marketing of the temple. And the lot of the priests is far better now as compared to the decades in the 60s and 70s.

Through the tough times at Thiru Mogur Divya Desam

Belonging to Azhvaar Tirunagari, Ramakrishnan, a young teenaged boy came to Thiru Mogur Divya Desam in 1975 after having undergone Vedic Education in the Maaran Ubaya Veda Patshala in Thiru Kurugur. Srinivasa Bhattar was a ‘30 day’ archakar at Thiru Mogur but he had no descendents. He roped the young boy and initiated him into Divya Desam service. Ramakrishnan learnt the Pancharatra Agama from Srinivasa Bhattar.  In 1976, Srinivasa Bhattar passed on the ‘Mirasu’ rights to Ramakrishnan. 

Since then for the last 41 years, Ramakrishna Bhattar has been taking care of the service to the Lord. He has over these four decades ensured that the 6 time pooja Kaalam took place each day. During the first couple of decades of his life at Thiru Mogur , there was hardly any income. Only those whose intention it was to complete the Divya Desam ‘count’ came to this temple. The temple presented him with around 3 Katti of prasadam every day.

There was a time in that phase when the Tirupathi Chinna Jeer used to visit Thiru Mogur for the Seva Kalam service during the annual Brahmotsavam, before he became the Jeer. Soon after he became the head, his special to the Lord of Thiru Mogur led him to build a mutt here in the agraharam. He also organized people for Prabhandham Ghosti ensuring a fair Sambhavanai. However, once he passed away, this too stopped. While Brahmotsavam continued to be celebrated, there were no devotees around. The Veda Parayanam and Prabhandham Ghosti became a thing of the past.

Never saw a ‘Rupee’ Note

In that early phase of Ramakrishnan Bhattar’s stint at this temple, the maximum Thattu Kaasu was 2-3paise. He never saw a ‘rupee’ note. Typical of people of those days, he lived within his means and led a contended life.  However, this did not go down well with his family.

Consistently during the period, he would hear whispers from his family members to his two young sons not to get into temple service. It had been a financial struggle for the family and the members throughout the childhood of the two sons sent out the message of staying away from archaka service. This constant initiation of ‘temple service does not help in a secure life’ in the young minds led them away from temples into the IT field and thus two Vaishnavites who should have had leanings to Kalamegha Perumal have been lost to the Corporate world.

               

Daily Nadaswaram too a thing of the past

Not only has the Divya Desam lost out on the descendents of the Bhattar, it has also lost out on the famous Nadaswaram Vidwan. Through the 2^nd half of the previous century, Nadaswaram was an integral part of everyday pooja at this temple. The renowned Nadaswaram Vidwan Kannan had performed here for over 25 years. Prior to that, his father had performed every day for over four decades at this Divya Desam.

While there was no financial remuneration for their presentation, they were given farming lands several decades ago. However, this was sold away and Nadaswaram Kannan lost out on the land and the income arising from that.

He approached the HR & CE for either the return of the land or a salary for his service through the year. With no reply forthcoming from the HR & CE and pending this long standing petition, Nadaswaram Kannan decided that it would no longer be possible to present through the year without any financial returns.

Nadaswaram Kannan says with a lot of sadness as to how the HR & CE would invite him just ahead of the visit of top officials or VIPs to present on the day to make it seem that everything was normal at the temple and that the traditional practices were being still being followed. He says that he had presented for decades without income from the temple and just received the prasadam but when in dire straits, his petition has remained unanswered. Having learnt Nadaswaram from the age of five and not knowing much else in life having quit school in class V, he is fully dependent on playing the Nadaswaram for his livelihood.

    

Thus the temple has lost out on the historic tunes played out during the pooja occasions each day of the year. He is ‘hired’ only for the annual Brahmotsavam and his team plays those traditional tunes only on select days in the year.

The festivals too have been revived with funds pouring into the temple. In Maasi, the Utsava deity goes to Yaanai Malai (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2009/12/yoga-narasimha-narasingam-madurai.html) for the enactment of the Gajendra Moksham episode 

(http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2014/03/thiru-mogur-gajendra-moksham-utsavam_23.html).

Past 60, Ramakrishnan Bhattar continues his service to the Lord. He is financially well off now with the temple having turned around but decades of standing in different Sannidhis for long hours have taken a physical toll on him. The physical strength in his legs is gone, though he still manages to perform the service to the Lord with the same devotion that he has shown in the decades gone by. However, the not so good news is that his sons have been lost to the temple as a result of what the family had gone through in those decades earlier.

Kannamangai Perum Pura Kadal Divya Desam

July 8, 2017, 11:48 pm

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81 year old Ramaswamy Bhattachar has performed service at this Divya Desam for almost six decades having once upon a time struggled to even pay a house rent of Rs. 5

After 60 years, his monthly salary has now risen to Rs. 1500 !!!!

In 1959, a vacancy arose for a Vaikanasa Agama Archakar at the Bhaktavatsala Perumal Divya Desam in Thiru Kannamangai (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2008/05/thiru-kannamangai-bhaktavatsala-perumal.html), then a remote location about 7kms North of Thiruvarur on the Kumbakonam highway.

Kuppuswamy Bhattar had been performing aradhana at their home town of Pazhakudi near Peralam. His son  PK Ramaswamy had passed Class VIII  but had learnt Vaikanasa Agama initially from the then revered scholar Mudikondan Ramaswamy Bhattar and later at the Sirkazhi and Tirupathi Patshala.

The father asked his son to apply for this post and thus PK Ramaswamy, just out of his teens, came to Thiru Kannamangai Divya Desam as the Bhattachar. He was also given 1 ½ Padi rice every day as part of his remuneration. Since then, he has been performing service here for almost six decades. Over this long period, his monthly salary has risen to just Rs. 1500/- !!! During his life time at this Divya Desam, he has personally performed three Samprokshanams but in those early decades of his service at this Divya Desam, he lived in a rented house in the agraharam on the South Street but did not even have the money to even pay the monthly rent of Rs. 5.

Rs. 2 was a rarity!!!

In those days, he would be delighted to receive Rs. 2 at the end of a day but for the most part that remained an unlikely occurrence through that period for rarely did devotees visit this Divya Desam. Paying Rs. 10, he would cycle once in a while all the way to bigger town of Thiruvarur to get provisions.

Back in those days, the four streets around the temple were full of Brahmins comprising of 100s of Vadakalai and Thenkalai Iyengars as well as Smarthas. Ramaswamy Bhattachar was truly devoted to the Lord and nothing else mattered to him.

This is a Prarthana temple for fulfilment of marriage wishes, this having been a place of the wedding of the Lord and Thayar. Those who offer their prayers here to Garuda are believed to be relieved from all doshams. 

He was a very strict archakar and laid clear rules for the conduct of the devotees at the temple. Over the period of his service, he has helped fulfilled the wedding prayers of over 500 devotees at this temple through his sincere aradhana to Garudaazhvaar.

Go to Kanna Mangai for the Lord's Full Version

When Thiru Mangai Azhvaar came to Chozha region and moved from one temple to another seeking darshan of the Lord in a full and gigantic posture, he was directed to Thiru Kannamangai. Ramaswamy Bhattachar considers it a great blessing to have been serving such a ‘wholesome’ Lord  for the best part of 60 years.

எங்களுக்குஅருள்செய்கின்ற  ஈசனை

வாசவார்குழலாள்மலைமங்கைதன்பங்கனைப்

 பங்கில்வைத்துஉகந்தான்தன்னை

பான்மையை, பனிமாமதியம்தவழ்மன்குலை

கடரைவடமாமலைஉச்சியை

நச்சிநாம்வணங்கப்படும்கங்குலை

பகவைச்சென்றுநாடி

கண்ணமங்கையுள்கண்டுகொண்டேனே– Periya Thirumozhi 7-10-3

Celebration of Kanna Mangai Andan’s Birthday

Aani Shravanam (falls next Tuesday – July 11) has been a special occasion at the temple for several decades. The birthday of Thiru Kannamangai Andan, the revered acharya who was born here, is celebrated in a grand manner at this temple. 

On this day, Thirukovilur Emberumanar Jeer, who has supported this temple over a long period of time, is personally present for the Seva Kalam and Satru Murai.

Revival of the Brahmotsavam

The Brahmotsavam in Chitrai had come to a halt in the 1950s and 60s. It was PK Ramaswamy Bhattachar who helped revive the annual utsavam.  His two sons support him at the temple but for the major utsavams, he took the help of Sowri Raja Bhattar of Thiru Kannapuram for almost two decades. Once upon a time several decades ago, the Uriyadi Utsavam was celebrated in a mandapa North of the temple, near the tank but that is in a dilapidated condition now.

Maintained Good Relations with the Vadakalai Archakar

Thiru Kannamangai is not necessarily known for the unity of the Thenkalaiyars and Vadakalaiyars. In fact, Ramaswamy Bhattachar has seen aggressive combats between the two sects at this Divya Desam.  However, his own relationship with them has been very good.

Roja Poo Brihaspathi Iyengar took care of the Vedanta Desikar Sannidhi at the temple.  Whenever he went out of town for a function, he would hand over the keys of the Sannidhi to Ramaswamy Bhattachar. When he came back from the function, he would hand over any of his income from the function to the Bhattachar in recognition of him having taken care of the Sannidhi. Such was the camaraderie between the two in the decades gone by. 

For the first time in his six decades of service, the temple tank has gone completely dry this year and that saddens him a lot.

80+ and still going strong

With age catching up with him, he is hard of hearing but makes it to the temple every morning and stays there till 12.30pm. Till date, he has not watched a single minute of TV. Neither has he drunk a single cup of coffee all his life. A few years ago, he received the Best Vaikanasa Agama expert award from the Tiruvarur Aanmeega Sangam for his long years of selfless service at this Divya Desam.

Ramaswamy Bhattachar is still seen by his contemporaries as a stickler for perfection in the conduct of the poojas. In this changing world, with impatience being a stand out feature and with everyone looking at finishing things quickly, he remains a traditionalist and does not make compromises in the way temple service is to be performed. He has been looking to pass the baton to his two sons but they have made it clear that he is the ‘Boss’ at the temple and have refused transfer of employment. Thus past 80, Ramaswamy Bhattachar continues an extended engagement with the Lord and he is grateful to be serving the Lord each day even at this age when most others would have opted for the comfort of their homes.